Oniisan (~FINISHED~)
by silrayn silverwolf
Summary: mild SHOUNEN AI/YAOI WeiB Kreuz/YYH crossover Kurama gets a red haired assassin as his older brother. More about brotherly love, though there is a traditional yaoi couple involved. More info inside...
1. a meeting of brothers

Oniisan

> > **Disclaimers: **Weiss Kreuz and Yu Yu Hakusho are not mine. 
>> 
>> **Notes for the Unitiated:** This is set in the Assassin and the Fox Universe where Fujimiya Ran/Aya-kun (from Weiß Kreuz a.k.a. Knight Hunters - Pilipino translated version) and Kurama/Minamino Shuuichi /Dennis (from Yu Yu Hakusho a.k.a. Ghostfighter - Pilipino translated version) are siblings. Ran is the stoic red headed leader of a team of four vigilante assassins, "the White Hunters" who "hunt the Dark Beasts". Kurama is the redheaded star student of Meioh High whose actually Youko Kurama a famous fox-demon thief who decided to become human rather than die. Because of certain complications Kurama became a Spirit Detective and member of Team Urameshi. A long lost brother's about to come into Ran's life.   
  
  

>> 
>> **Oniisan**   
A WEIB KREUZ/YUYU HAKUSHO CROSSOVER FANFIC 
>> 
>> Shiori had balked at first in disbelief at the thought that this strange silent man called Ran Fujimiya was her son, but after a week she had accepted the fact. _Did she have a choice? The papers were perfect._ Thought Aya bitterly as he dressed to meet his little brother for the first time, one more step towards recruiting him for WeiB. Funny in other circumstances, he would have been quite content, happy even, to meet his little brother but not now. _Not like this_. 
>> 
>> Frankly, he would not make an effort at all to recruit Shuuichi. He'd be his most intimidating self! That's it, surely such a gentle boy should be frightened by such treatment. He could not believe otherwise. Their intelligence must be in error and those friends of his had protected him in which case he'd be most happy to recruit them for WieB, but surely not him! _Otouto, I have failed Aya-chan, I will not fail you. I would protect you from this harsh life; this would not do for one as gentle as you._
>> 
>> Kurama went down the stairs with a feeling of anticipation, his mother had said to expect a special surprise guest this lazy Saturday afternoon. He came to the living room to see a red-haired stranger with his mother. So this was the guest his mother was talking about! Unnoticed for the moment, he studied the man with typical fox-like curiosity. He was wiry, slender and tall with the definite grace of an athlete or a warrior, his eyes held a controlled warmth as they were trained on Kurama's mother. Suddenly the stranger glanced up to meet his gaze and quirked his mouth at him, that in turn made Kurama give the latter a tentative smile. Drawn by the exchange his mother looked up to give him a reassuring smile and a gesture to come closer, which he did. 
>> 
>> "Shuu-kun, I'd like to you to meet your oniisan Ran Fujimiya, Ran your younger brother Shuuichi Minamono." Said Shiori with a glint of mischief in her eye. Stunned, Kurama could only listen in amazement as the story was told to him. 
>> 
>> Ran watched as incredulity and disbelief chased each other across his newfound brother's face. He didn't blame him--the story seemed to be as unbelievable to him at first and he had dealt with pretty strange things as part of his life as an assassin. He was still getting used to the fact that he still had a mother, let alone a new brother. He could still remember the briefing that turned his life or what there was of it that had some order upside down… 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Manx was as usual her cryptic self albeit she seemed a bit more cheerful, a _bad_ sign. She popped the video of Persia in with her usual aplomb somewhat more amused than usual, an even _worse_ sign, and the briefing started. 
>> 
>> "WeiB your mission is rather unusual this time around. It is not an assassination attempt but a recruiting one. Observe…" The screen blanked to show long red hair, green expressive eyes and fine features. "this is the object of your mission." 
>> 
>> "Excuse me but we don't involve women let alone young girls in assassination…" 
>> 
>> "Hush." Admonished Manx to Yohji. 
>> 
>> "He is Shuuichi Minamono…"Somehow Persia's voice suddenly became less certain at this. "Abyssinian, he is really your younger brother." 
>> 
>> "Nani!" Exclaimed Aya startled out of his normal impassivity. That summarized what everyone was feeling at the moment in the room, astonishment were written in everyone's faces except for Manx of course who seemed to be more amused than ever. 
>> 
>> "As you might recall Abyssinian, your real mother died pregnant when you were five in a 'car accident' and your father married within a year the woman that you have learned to call your 'kaasan. That car accident was no such thing, it was actually a warning to your father who was even then involved in Takatori's business with the bank. The assassin had been incompetent and had managed to bungle the assassination. Failing to find the body of the woman, he got a replacement from somewhere to put in the wreck. Your mother somehow managed to walk a kilometer or so from the site and was picked up by a Dr. Minamono who took her in. She had amnesia and was mistaken for someone else. The good doctor then later married her when she proved to be pregnant. They raised your little brother Shuuichi as their own, not telling him the truth." 
>> 
>> "Now you may wonder why we are suppose to recruit him, here is the reason: About two years ago, the late Takatori found out that your mother had survived and sent some assassins of the same group as he sent before to 'take care' of her. Not one of those assassins was left alive. He sent another batch to dispatch her. It almost went the same way except that one came back with impossible stories, of thorny whips and such. Takatori decided to cut loose that assassin group because of this one incident. Not believing the stories, he thought that the whole group was incompetent and on drugs. Now that report has found its way to Schwartz who has reason to believe such stories may not be fabricated." 
>> 
>> "We believe they may try to recruit Shuuichi Minamono for their own group, your mission WieB is to prevent this and to verify the old report. And, if the report proves to be true, to recruit Shuuichi or whoever it was that protected your mother to WieB. Needless to say _Abyssinian_ that such a recruit or recruits would prove to be a great advantage to you and your war against the Schwartz." 
>> 
>> "Here are some details about Shuuichi that you may need to know about…" That was when they got a briefing of his brother's life. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> They were going to meet Shuuichi's friends later today in the park for a picnic, though they were heading to the park right now as they had for the past couple of Saturdays "getting to know one another". Ran mentally snorted at that thought. He could only give so much about his life before the rest would tumble out on its own. What he gave wasn't much and he knew it made his otouto have doubts about him. 
>> 
>> He was certain now that their intelligence was wrong, his brother seems not to be the kind of boy to kill anything much less a human being. He was not only a conscientious student as the report claimed but he was helpful to his mother and stepfather and a good 'niisan to his stepbrother. His family obviously adored him. Who would be able to think such things of someone as good as Shuuichi should have head his head examined like those nutcases in Schwartz. Come to think of it they were going to try to recruit him weren't they…over my dead body. 
>> 
>> "So do you enjoy your work in the Koneko no Sumu Ie, 'niisan?" 
>> 
>> "Hn." Ran said in sync with the tapping of his "cane". It was purportedly for support of an injured ankle, it contained his katana and he had a lot of practice using it before but it was still somewhat a nuisance. 
>> 
>> "So do you have any friends, 'niisan?" 
>> 
>> "Three guys who work with me in the shop." 
>> 
>> Kurama was beginning to like this taciturn brother of his in spite of his suspicions. At first, he hadn't so sure of how to take to this turn of events and he was suspicious of the way his "oniisan" was behaving or more to the point not behaving. He wasn't exactly the every day sort of person one would meet on the street no matter how he tried to act. There was something about him that spoke of fighting and darker things. And there was an indefinite feeling that all was not as it seemed. Ran-niisan wasn't being very informative either, sort of like Hiei actually. _No exactly like Hiei._ He thought in amusement tinged with a pang of loss at the last answer. He rather missed his equally taciturn partner ever since the latter went to stay in the Makai to be Mukuro's heir. 
>> 
>> They were passing an empty field when a cheerful voice distracted them. 
>> 
>> "Ohayo, Ran-kun." 
>> 
>> "Ohayo, Ken-kun." Ken Hidaka was hanging around with his set of kids kicking the ball in the lot. Ran performed introductions all around and was surprised to see a glint of recognition in Shuuichi's eyes. 
>> 
>> "It is a pleasure Ken Hidaka-san, you were quite a player in the J-league before were you not?" 
>> 
>> "Hai." Said surprised Ken, pain flashing for an instant in his eyes. "You like soccer?" 
>> 
>> "Hai, I'm in the soccer team at school." Kurama could have kicked himself for that tactless statement. _Kurama no baka_ don't you remember there was a sort of scandal involved that's why he was taken off the team? Too late now. It was just that he was so startled at seeing that his 'niisan was friends with someone as famous as he was. " Can I help you with the children?" 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Let's do it again, Ken-san." Said Kurama laughingly as he went on with Ran to meet Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko and Yukina for a picnic lunch under one of the shadier portion of the park. 
>> 
>> The morning sped by pleasantly enough with Kurama and Ken playing soccer with the children and Ran sitting underneath the shade of a tree watching them and Ran almost regretted that it had to end. His otouto was in his element playing with Ken and the little children. Carefree and happy, he reminded Ran of Aya-chan in the happier days when they still had their parents. That brought him to boiling rage remembering how that son of a bitch, Reiji Takatori, had wrecked their family for the sake of his callous ambitions. Well Reiji had paid and Schreint will too for kidnapping his sister. It was imperative that he find out amongst Shu-kun's friends was the one who took care of those assassins. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Ran was thinking again of Aya-'neesan, Kurama could see that in the way his eyes holding a certain glitter of determination, hurt and sadness. Kurama tried not to mention Aya's name to his 'niisan after the first time he tried to find out about her, 'niisan was extremely upset about her disappearance. Not that he and Shiori wasn't worried about Aya but to them she was just a name and a girl in coma. Someone who wasn't quite so "real" as Ran was, at least not yet. However, he could empathize about what 'niisan felt. It reminded him of the time back when there was only he and 'kaasan, and the cancer took hold of her. He had tried desperately, trying even to beyond what was normally possible, to save his mother from the cancer. The time he had stolen the Mirror of Utter Dark to save her life. Oh, he knew what Ran was feeling and it touched him deeply, he wondered if he could ask Koenma about Aya to see if she could be located. 
>> 
>> "Oi, Kurama." Cheerfully screeched Kuwabara breaking into Shuuichi's preoccupation, backslapping him HARD then stopping short of the rest of his hearty greeting, looking faintly embarrassed as he saw the stranger with his friend. 
>> 
>> "Kuwabara-kun." _K'so, I forgot about that, must be getting senile in my old age. _Kurama greeted Kuwabara then turned Ran who looked confused in his own quiet way. "Kurama is one of the nicknames my friends call me, 'niisan, the other's Fox." 
>> 
>> "Who's that with you?" Boomed Kuwabara into Kurama's ear, tactfully as always as they went to the picnic table where Yuusuke and the others waited. 
>> 
>> "Didn't Yuusuke tell you? This is Ran Fujimiya my newfound 'niisan." Kurama introduced his brother to his friend. "'Niisan, this is Kuwabara Kazuma, my friend." 
>> 
>> "Oi, Kuwabara found Kurama yet?" Said Yuusuke innocently at Kuwabara. 
>> 
>> "So you must be Kurama's brother. Ran-san, I am Yuusuke Urameshi, nice to meet you." Said Yuusuke turning to Kurama and Ran to give them a nod, a barely suppressed snicker on his face. 
>> 
>> "Now, you asked for it Urameshi!" 
>> 
>> "What did I do?" Kuwabara pounced on him before he got a chance to say anything else and they went brawling, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. 
>> 
>> "This is Keiko…" Shuuichi introduced a brown-haired girl who was looking over the fight with a disgusted look on her face. "and Yukina." A blue-haired girl this time who smiled shyly at him as she continued to unpack a picnic basket. 
>> 
>> With Ran and Kurama to help, the girls were able to set the table properly. The two guys were still brawling when they were approached by Keiko who with the deft application of several punches managed to separate the two of them and got them to tamely sit down to lunch. That one could efficiently run a bar with her skill, Ran suspected. He was learning much about Shuuichi's friends in this one afternoon's conversation than he had in the hours of intense briefing with Persia. They were certainly an interesting group, Ran thought as he listened some more. 
>> 
>> "Are you sure that's not the shrimp in disguise, he…" Whatever else Kuwabara was going to stage whisper was cut off by a howl as Keiko and Kurama simultaneously kicked him under the table and stomped solidly on his foot. He probably thought he was whispering but he could be heard all over the general vicinity. 
>> 
>> "Oi, what did you mean by that?" 
>> 
>> "Don't be so rude!" There went Keiko smacking Kuwabara on the side of the head. 
>> 
>> Who was "the shrimp"? Oh, probably another friend of theirs that couldn't come to the picnic, nobody important at the moment. Their antics were really quite amusing and Ran permitted him a small smile and started to relax. He was now re-thinking his stand about the truthfulness of the assassin's report and wondering if the jerk had LIED. 
>> 
>> They seem to be a happy brawling, almost delinquent lot, quite at odds, as Persia said, with the wholesome image his brother had but he could not find much to fault them. Sure, the black-haired guy had dropped out of school but he was running a prosperous ramen house and seemed pretty satisfied about it. The red head, Kuwabara, had the feeling of not being bright and much of a brawler but it seemed pretty harmless enough of a habit since he and Yusuke haven't killed one another yet and from what Ran gathered they fought each other constantly. The girls were sweet. Yes, even Keiko who punched the guys into submission was sweet in her own tough inimitable way. These were not killers by habit, he couldn't see them do such things as he had done for the past few years and remain this carefree. Even Ken-Ken showed the strain now and then. 
>> 
>> On the other hand, his thoughts wandered as his mood turned darker, this was just the first day he had seen these people after all, he still had some time to observe them, a week to see if this was all a facade. And there was still this mysterious "shrimp". Yes, there was still some possibility. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Botan was desperately signaling them from the branches of a tree and Kurama almost gave her away by laughing at her. He guessed that she didn't want a stranger to see her approach them and so was trying to be inconspicuous. As inconspicuous as a red flower in a field of white! It was a miracle that his 'niisan hadn't noticed the perky blue-haired goddess of death but then Kurama saw that Ran was again lost in his thoughts. A faint scowl line marred Ran's brow and Kurama knew that he had to be resigned to an elder brother who brooded a lot. Then he grinned, Ran and Hiei would certainly get along fine after the initial sniff and bite stage. With Botan here for another mission, he was sure to see his small partner soon. And with this thought in mind, a much-cheered Kurama went with his big brother. Lately, the latter had insisted on walking Kurama home every time he had some place to go. That is going to be a problem like right now. So trapped, he could only wave a sign to the Team that he'd be over later as his brother's back was turned. 
>> 
>> Much later, after Kurama made quite sure that his overly solicitously brother was no longer hanging about. Sometimes, 'niisan could be such a nuisance, he seems to be convinced that his little brother was a sweet delicate angel who needed to be defended from the big bad world. _If only he knew_, smiled Kurama as he slipped into the Urameshi living room very much late. He was enjoying the care his brother showered on him too much to disillusion the latter about his past and his secret life now as a Reikai Tantei. _Hikari would have given him that care, if they hadn't been separated or if Hikari had been old enough to contest the judgement of the clan on a bad luck color kit of a brother… Stop feeling sorry about yourself, Kurama, that's the past and it's over and done with you have a loving mother and a brother who seems bent on protecting you albeit on this late date. So be it, I'll deal with it only when it becomes too troublesome._
>> 
>> Botan gave him a glare, it was obvious that everyone had been waiting for him so that the briefing could begin, Kuwabara was cracking up stupid jokes with Gentai and Shizuru as an unwilling audience. Yusuke gave him a questioning glance as he entered the room. He gave the latter a thumbs-up sign, mouthed "later" and flamboyantly swept into a seat. 
>> 
>> "Hn, stupid fox." 
>> 
>> "Nice to see you too, Hiei, did you miss me?" teased Kurama. The silent fire demon had lurking about in the shadows, which was why he hadn't seen him immediately when he had come in. _Trust the half-koorime to find the only dark corner in the room!_ Kurama grinned; he was about to say something more when it hit him and he quieted. _Genkai AND Shizuru!_ It must be pretty serious then. 
>> 
>> "Now that all of you are gathered here, let us listen to what Koenma-sama has to say…" Botan pushed the Reikai VHS tape into the slot in the parody of Manx. 
>> 
>> It was worse than he'd thought. An old demon was trying to break loose from the highest security level of prison and he was doing it so cleverly too. It was a particularly notorious Sei. Semi-reptilian humanoid in form the Sei had the ability to master elemental magic. Bolshai, this particular demon, had somehow mastered all four elements, the only one known to do so, and incorporated them into his attacks. He had been a powerful demon as well as cunning one; it had taken five hundred specially trained Reikai Tantei to subdue him. And this was in the time the Reikai Tantei organization was at its height. He was extremely cruel and…inventive. His crimes were a multitude, some quite gruesome, Kuwabara and Yusuke had to excuse themselves in the middle of the recitation to be quietly sick in the bathroom. Even Hiei looked a little green at some of them. Kurama remained impassive, he had heard of this before. He was an up-and-coming thief when Bolshai's crimes had caught up with him. The trial had made the Makai underground grapevine buzz for days. He privately thought that Bolshai was quite insane in his own way even then. 
>> 
>> Bolshai's plan involved using human servants, an old occult organization he had set up when he had been loose in the mortal world and a ceremony to "change" one of his human descendants. Everything had been planned out quite well in fact, the only hitch being it had to be the right descendant to possess. Koenma-sama had the organization spied on through out the centuries and was now seeing it awaken and become active. It seems that they had found a likely candidate for their Master to possess and the person in question was in Japan. That was all Koenma's agents could find out. The only clue they had was that the Estet, the occult organization, had an arm called Schwartz who was responsible for acquiring the said person. Oh and these persons had rei abilities, so Koenma wanted them to spot suspicious Talented individuals and shadow them. Spot them in a city the size of Tokyo, what optimism! But still they had to try, with the current number of Reikai Tantei they certainly couldn't deal with Bolshai if he got loose!


	2. poor Omi

****

Oniisan Chapter 2

A WEIB KREUZ-YU YU HAKUSHO FANFIC

"Gomen nasai, minna-san for being late and for taking so long to talk to Botan, so how are we going to go about this?" Asked Kurama. He had taken the opportunity to pull Botan aside to talk to her about the favor he had wanted from Koenma-sama for his 'niisan. Everyone was looking at him with curiosity. Kurama was almost always on time for these meetings, punctual and dependable nobody had to trouble about him before in ordinary circumstances, he didn't usually talk to Botan either unless it was about the mission. 

"It must be Kurama's new oniisan. What did you talk to Botan about, anyway, Kurama?" Said Yuusuke when the silence had grown uncomfortable as he took pity on poor Kurama whom had been trying NOT to tell them about that fact. Earning him a glare from the former. 

"A personal matter, Yuusuke, nothing to do with the mission at all."

"New 'niisan." Said Genkai raising her eyebrow and training an intense inquiring glance at Kurama.

"Aa, 'baasan, I have acquired a new oniisan this past month. His name is Ran Fujimiya and he is most happy to have me as his otouto." Kurama sweat-drops as he says this.

"Will he be a problem?" Genkai said without expression, Kurama was evading her question and they both knew it.

"I will deal with it. He is just over-protective." Kurama didn't want to share his 'niisan with his friends since it was the surest way to get his identity revealed to Ran. He had only introduced Yuusuke and the others to Ran because his mother knew them and might say something to make Ran suspicious. His 'niisan he suspected wouldn't be fooled too long by his excuses since he seems to be bent on following "little Shuu-kun" around.

"You'd better." Was all Genkai said. She knew as well as everyone in the room that they couldn't risk Reikai "non-combatants" in what they did and how harboring secret life cut both ways. It would be better for Kurama to say what would be appropriate considering none in the room knew about this Ran.

A bout of "how is he like?" and "how did you meet him?" questions delayed their discussion further. He answered as best as he could and they went on with the rest of meeting and assignments. He managed to keep Aya-'neesan and the favor he had asked Botan about out of the conversation though, he had a feeling that Ran wouldn't like to have them prying into THAT. He prayed to Inari that he had assuaged their curiosity enough so that they wouldn't seek him out and got on to review his part of the assignments as the gathering broke up and he went home with Hiei.

__

So that man is Kurama's brother… that thought comforted Hiei though he didn't let it show to anyone as he listened to the fox and the others chatter about Ran Fujimiya. He had been there that afternoon lurking with Botan in the tree when he noticed the stranger with his friend and partner. He felt a twinge of jealousy at the way the fox talked to the stranger drawing him into the conversation as he did with him when they were with Yuusuke and the others.

***

After the meeting, Hiei had accompanied his partner and friend Kurama to the latter's house, happy to be alone with him. Though that was another thing the little jaganashi would rather die to admit to the fox, he had missed Kurama's comforting presence. In the six months, that he had been in the Makai training as Mukuro's heir and patrolling the kingdom he was going to inherit he had often had strange dreams of Kurama that always made him feel all the more lonelier afterwards. Dreams that would probably get him teased to no end by the fox. After he'd escorted Kurama to his room, he settled at the nearby tree to sleep.

***

Omi looked about with some interest at his fellow students, he knew that Aya-kun would grill him later about them. He still had the slight limp gifted to him two days ago by the trap laid for them by the Schreint. He didn't let it bother him, he was really lucky it hadn't been worse. If the team'd been a few more minutes late in getting him out of there he would be dead from poison. 

It had been quite amusing this morning. Today had been the first time he was going to Meioh High. Aya had been such a mother hen over him, quietly fussing to confirm that he had everything down to pat and that his legs weren't hurting to much. Aya had veritably launching him out the door before the latter went to walk his little brother to school. _Shuuichi is really lucky to have a brother like Aya-kun. _Thought Omi with a twinge of old hurt, a bit healed now by time but still… 

He remembered his brothers, both of which they had killed. Of the two he was remembering Hirofumi most of all, the one he _had_ to kill. _Hirofumi_ never cared half as much for him as his commander evidently cared about his otouto and imuoto. It was heartwarming to see such care lavished on to him if only as a substitute for the absent Shuuichi. 

Omi came to silently to class and slid into his seat, waiting for the redhead that he was to observe. Persia had managed to pull another metaphoric rabbit out of his hat by managing not only to transfer Omi to Meioh High but also to get him into the same honors class as Shuuichi. His grades helped but still, in the middle of the term? The man could be quite a magician at times. Then his half-amused thoughts came to a screeching halt as a slender brunette sauntered into the classroom. Everything suddenly turned grim and deadly. It was his rival from Schwartz, Nagi Noue. 

Ran prepared dinner with a feeling of anticipation. Omi had finally recovered enough to go to school, Ran still simmered at how they had fallen deep into the trap. How that Neu had deceived Yohji, deceived them all. K'so, they didn't even find out where his sister had been really taken. He didn't let that spoil his happy mood though. Persia had arranged for the youngest member of their group to be transferred to Meioh High so that he could also keep an eye on the "mission objective". Ran could tell that their chief was chaffing of the lack of progress on the case but he didn't care. He hadn't found the ONE yet and that was that. Omi might have better luck hunting amongst Shuuichi's classmates but he didn't think so. It did help make him feel a little bit happier at having someone guard Shuuichi while he was at school and out of his sight though. 

Now that he had alleviated his brother's suspicions somewhat; Ran had taken to walking Shuuichi to school and back but it was no substitute for having him watched twenty four hours a day. Something he had failed to convince Persia was necessary. He had convinced Omi to stay after normal school hours for today though to observe his brother at soccer practice. He smirked at that, he had just come from walking his younger brother and Shuuichi-kun's cheerful chatter always put him in a better frame of mind. _What would Omi like for dinner? Hmm…_

"Aya-kun, you aren't going to like this" Omi said as he came in the back door into the kitchen where Ran was. He knew he had to break the bad news as soon as possible, Ran had such a temper sometimes. "Nagi-san of Schwartz is in the same class as me and Shuuichi. He has been there for two months."

"Nani! Why didn't Persia and Manx tell us that?" Aya cursed, it was the longest sentence Omi heard Aya speak and his ears burned at some of the phrases.

"They probably didn't tell us because THEY knew it would put your pants' legs into a twist. Aya, I think you should quit it, you're embarrassing the kid." Yohji's amusement cut through Ran's words like a knife. It was rather strained but genuine for all at that. Ran took note of it and subsided, he was absurdly glad that someone found some comfort in the situation. Besides, Yohji needed the cheer after what he had to do that last mission... But hell, if he would let the team know that! Leveling one of his trademarked deadly glares at Yohji. 

"I think it is time for me to introduce you to my otouto…"

__

I take it back, poor Shuuichi, Aya-kun sure is smothering in his caring. Thought Omi as he noted the determined look cemented on Ran's face and wincing at the strictures the latter was saying to him.

"…If possible do not leave him for an instant, while you are in school and until I've come to fetch him home…"

_And poor me, I have a feeling school is going to be a torture this term. Nagi glaring at me at every turn and Shuuichi growing suspicious that I'm watching him for his brother. _

***

The frustrations were bearing down on Nagi, Crawford was getting to be a pain. Their leader wanted some results, and he wanted them now. _It's been two months, Nagi, haven't you found out anything about him at all to say if he's psychic or not…_ said the scolding voice of the latter in Nagi's memory. _What could I say, it's not as if Minamono-kun was forthcoming with his classmates._ Shuuichi Minamono was friendly as their surveillance report had said and he welcomed all into his circle of school friends but that was just the surface. But in truth, Minamono-kun was a very private person, very little could be said about him other what is publicly known. To top it all off, Tsukiyono-kun of WeiB had now shown up to shadow the target as well. 

Nagi couldn't get near Minamono-kun without the genki WeiB member popping out of the woodwork to give him that oh-so-cheerful smile and he thought having Fujimiya-san around was bad. That constant smile was getting to be an irritant, he'd have to get his mission objective done as soon as possible before he did something extremely unfortunate, preferably something to wipe that annoying grin off of Tsukiyono-kun's face. His opposite number had managed somehow to mysteriously—well not so mysteriously since he was a friend of the target's brother—to be seated with Minamono-kun in the cafeteria at lunch. A thing that took him at least a month to achieve! He must do something very soon.

***

Speaking of frustrations, Shuuichi, or rather Kurama, was about to scream. He had acquired a second—or in his case a ninth and not a useful—tail these few days. Omi-kun was true to his word following him at the order of his brother. He couldn't excuse himself to go to the washroom for a moment without the ever-obsequious Omi Tsukiyono appearing behind him. He hadn't even been able to get out of class even once to do his own investigating assignment. That was something he had to tell Hiei the next time the fire demon "dropped by" his room, if 'niisan don't find someone to hang around his window at night that is—from the way Ran-niichan was going, it wasn't long before he did that. And he thought it would be easy to get away from Tsukiyono-kun. 

Kurama smiled a little as he remembered the time when Omi-kun introduced himself. They were about to eat lunch at the cafeteria. There were a goodly number of students who ate their lunches before they went home so he had not been surprised when someone started to seat himself across him. Takino-kun and his other school friends were out having lunch in on of the downtown establishments so he had "their " table all to himself. He had soccer practice this afternoon so could not join them. His teammates weren't so concerned with punctuality either so they had also eating out. 

The stranger, a blond boy with blue eyes smiled as Kurama looked up from the packed lunch 'kaasan prepared for him.

"Konichiwa, Minamono-kun? I am Omi Tsukiyono. I work with your 'niisan at the Koneko no Sumu Ie. I have heard so much about you from Ran-kun." 

That long stream of words was spoken with the tinge of blush coloring the other boy's cheeks. 

"Konichiwa, Tsukiyono-kun." Kurama said with a slightly puzzled smile on his face. Why was Tsukiyono-kun blushing? _Wait, didn't he say he worked with 'niisan at the Koneko no Sumu Ie? Yes, he did._ Kurama put two and two together.

"Ran-niisan told you to watch over me did he?"

"Like a shadow." Confirmed the other with something like relief in his voice that Kurama understood. It would be as embarrassing for him if he had to explain to someone that their family had sent him to spy on them as well.

"Well, let's make it painless then, let's be friends call me Shuuichi, ne_?" It would be easier to escape him if he weren't on his guard. Though I doubt any teenage human can outsmart me with all my years as a thief._ Kurama had thought half-amusedly at the fun he was going to have avoiding this new complication. Let the chase begin.

"Omi." Smiled Omi plainly relieved that he was taking it so well.

That was then, this was now. Kurama was sincerely peeved at the fact that he hadn't been able to shake him even once. What the latter lacked for experience he certainly made up with enthusiasm and Kurama was hampered by the realization that if he _did _manage to evade Omi-kun he'd have his oniisan to deal with the next time he saw him. It was getting to the point that Kurama was thinking of telling Ran everything. Two more days, he promised himself, if in two more days he couldn't get away from Omi-kun then he'd tell Ran the whole truth. Time was running out. 

***

Omi sneezed, he wondered if he was coming down with a cold. It would certainly be the consistent with his luck this past week. He wasn't having a fun day, following Shuuichi-kun was certainly exhausting. For someone reputed to be a perfect student he certainly got around. But then he must have had some way to meet those delinquent friends of his. Now, now Omi, don't think sour thoughts of Shuuchi-kun, especially since he's been so nice to you following him around like some lovesick fan-girl! 

That was another sore point in Omi's book, he had been getting threats of all sorts from the self-declared "Minamono-kun Fan Club", albeit mostly dirty looks these were getting tiresome. The killing glare of Nagi-kun was one thing, he had anticipated that and met those with his usual sunny smile but these were completely unforeseen. Especially since the object of their attention seems to give him implicit permission to do so. There weren't that many fan-boys as there were fan-girls but those were giving him the jitters, it looks like he was the one who was going to get hurt if this was to draw on judging from the way they were staring at him evilly. Omi thought miserably, and _he_ couldn't even defend himself with his darts or his crossbow since that would give his cover away.

***

Nagi waited behind a tree patiently for "the interval in between the changing of guards" as he thought of the time Shuuichi Minamono were to go to the soccer field to practice. There was that few minutes when Tsukiyono-kun left him alone since Fujimiya-san was almost always escorted him to the soccer field, if one could catch him before the WeiB leader would appear then he might have a chance, no such luck today. Oh well tomorrow then, he had some time still. It would be at least a week before Crawford really got mad. 

***

After soccer practice, Kurama went out of the locker room after changing back into his school uniform, physically refreshed if not mentally with the source of his current problem waiting outside for him. He felt somewhat guilty at that thought, he really can't blame his oniisan for feeling protective of him. Being annoyed with the Ran-niichan for things that he himself had the fault of wasn't nice either. He began to chatter with his brother as usual of his day at school when he sensed a familiar presence behind him.

"Hiei." Kurama said turning around to give the fire demon his special smile.

"Kurama." Said the fire demon his eyes unreadable as always but a thread of conversation went into Kurama's head in Hiei's voice. 

__

:Genkai sent me when you didn't report back in. Have you found any leads to them yet?: No need to say who them meant. 

_:No.:_

He was going to elaborate on that when he remembered Ran standing there. It hadn't been long—no mental conversation ever took long—but he did have to introduce Hiei to Ran.

"Ran-niichan, this is Hiei Jaganashi my best friend. Hiei-kun this is Ran Fujimiya my oniisan."

"Hn." Said both Ran and Hiei echoing one another down to the guarded searching once over look both gave one another. 

__

They were really very much alike. Thought Kurama, irritation all but forgotten in the rising wave of amusement that threatened to give way into laughter. These encounters in the demon world were the ones that were most dangerous. When two demons would sniff and gauge and decide if they can tolerate one another in the same territory. They were too much alike to give him any peace till they've decided. He was reminded of his thoughts the first time he saw his brother; _dangerous_ was a word he used to describe Ran then.

Kurama exhaled when Ran said 'Hn' again and went on to walk in the direction of his house with him and Hiei. Bloodshed had been adverted even if temporarily. He settled back to talking to Hiei mentally. 

__

:I've had unanticipated problems. It seems that 'niisan's friend is in the same classes I'm in and being as protective as he is, 'niisan asked Omi-kun to "look after" me.:

"Hiei is quite happy to make your acquaintance, 'Niisan. And I'm sure that 'Niisan is glad to meet you at last Hiei."

__

:Can you fulfill your end of the mission?:

"Hn."

"Hn." 

__

:I might have to tell 'niisan all about us to do so.:

"So did you miss me?"

__

:Are you sure that is wise? How well do you know him?:

"Hn."

__

:He works in a Koneko no Sumu Ie with four other guys….: Kurama began as he told Hiei everything he knew about his new brother. He didn't even think to withhold Aya-neesan and her situation. _This is Hiei; I can trust him with anything._ Hiei would know how to be discreet about this and would know enough not to let his 'niisan know about it either. He almost wished he didn't start to do so because retelling what little he knew reminded him again about his misgivings of Ran. The facts were just too few. 

__

:Hn.: Was all he said at that.

Preoccupied with their silent and verbal conversations, Kurama was unaware of Ran who was drawing alarming conclusions about Hiei. His eyes alternately widened and narrowed though, his replies getting more absentminded. This Hiei was short almost like a boy except that he spoke with a bass rumble that said he was older than his height proclaimed him to be. His eyes had the cold glitter that marked him—at least in Ran's eyes—as a killer and he believed he had found the one they were looking for: the man who was responsible for the death of Shiori's assassins. This thought however didn't give Ran any pleasure for he noted how his brother seemed to dote on the short guy. Shuuichi all but cuddled up to him! Being protected by a good efficient killer is one thing but being attached to one was another. He didn't want anyone as innocent as his brother associating with a cold-blooded killer. He can barely tolerate having to reveal himself to the latter and to have someone like Hiei close to his brother made him apprehensive to say the least! But how to separate them, they were obviously close and... 

__

Now, now, Ran, your just jealous that someone else has your little brother's affection other than your mother and yourself. And he is very like you, though you don't really have cause to be jealous since he does show you the equal amount of attention he does to Hiei now doesn't he? Ran scolded himself but he still felt uneasy about the whole thing.


	3. more hounds' sniffing

> **Gomen for taking so long… and I can't find the edited version on my comp so there are some grammatical booboos on this one( as usual) ^__^x**   
****   

> 
> _Kitsune no baka, that Fox trusts this man too much._ Hiei thought as he raced through the trees after leaving Kurama and his "brother" at the latter's house. But then the Fox was blinded from hope. He liked his new "oniisan" too much at the moment to think of anything else. _Ch, he's getting soft._ It must be something that Kurama got from hanging around ningen too long he supposed for no one could have survive for more than a handful of years in the Makai without suspecting their own grandmothers if need be. _Correction, the clan-less and outcast need to be suspicious even of their own kin not those who had families…_ Old pain welled in him.
> 
> Be that as it may, he needed to investigate the Schwartz anyway. He might as well investigate this Ran Fujimiya as well. It wouldn't do to hurt the Fox unnecessarily but it wouldn't do to compromise the mission or the Fox's safety either. If that man was planning to betray or harm the Fox in any way…Hiei gripped his sword tightly, Ran will have to answer to him.
> 
> That surprised him, when did he feel such a thing for the flamboyant fox? Besides Kurama can protect himself very well, thank you. It was probably an unwarranted suspicion anyhow but Hiei can't shake the dark thoughts out of his mind. It was way too convenient for him to appear just now when the affair with Bolshai was coming to head. _Coincidence?_ The way he moved, the steely glint hidden in eyes bespoke of more than passing acquaintance with battle and death. Though the man did not register very much above normal, that _could_ have been a trick to lull the Fox into false security. And that lost sister, was she a true ningen or something the man made up to get the Fox's sympathy, Hiei wondered. Knowing the Fox he'd have taken the man at his word and not a thought to checking. Though the Fox may have his own suspicions.
> 
> Though Hiei had no friends or relatives here in the Ningenkai, he had other resources. Mukuro, like Yomi and Yuusuke's regent, had an intricate web of C- and D-class youkai here in the Ningenkai. They engaged in a matter of low-profile trades some criminal but not large enough to attract the attention of the Reikai. Or if they were noticed, Reikai and the Makai lords had an unofficial understanding about such things, for as long as the youkai in question was playing by Ningenkai rules, no official sanction would be taken. Hiei ranked high in Mukuro's command chain. Further more, he had been in the Ningenkai before and not caused any trouble, excepting the occasional brawl with Kuwabara. Therefore he was the logical choice to manage these agents for Mukuro.
> 
> ***
> 
> It was much later and much more confused Hiei retired to the tree in Kurama's backyard. His contacts had offered much more and much less than he'd expected but having some facts had given him more questions than answers. There were no records to access about them in the police files but one of the youkai in question had seen the "short flame hair ningen" with a katana with several others at least two whose descriptions matched Omi Tsukiyono and Ken Hidaka at one time.
> 
> The youkai remembered it because he had been robbing a mansion when he sensed some humans using reiki, naturally the youkai had run. He had a gun with ample ammunition and with the speed of one of his kind he could handle any mere ningen or fair number of ningen in a group but he didn't want to chance fighting some ningen with reiki. He had been so preoccupied with running away that he had almost run smack into the group of ningen coming down the hallway killing the guards he had avoided before. He had managed to camouflage himself in time to be passed over but he got an eyeful of the group. They were armed to the teeth and determined expressions that were set to kill. Whatever they were doing in that house surely wasn't legit for they killed the guards with expert precision. Of course, that was all the youkai could tell Hiei for the latter had made good of his escape soon after.
> 
> _Kisama! The little coward hadn't even gotten a look at the reiki users. What happened to natural curiosity?_ For the youkai had been adamant that Ran and his team were in his sights when he sensed reiki usage in _another_ part of the house. But to be fair, he couldn't be faulted for all he knew he might have stumbled onto some Reikai business in progress. Hiei had the demon confirmed by visiting the Koneko to verify that it was Ran and his group of seemingly innocuous flower-boys that he had been talking about then had let him off to take care of business as usual.
> 
> _Were they rivals or enemies? Were they allies?_ It was no means even certain that Ran and his group were connected with Schwartz for all Hiei knew their presence at the scene was a coincidence. He knew some people were stupid or unlucky enough to attract all the wrong enemies. They tended to get several contracts on their heads as a result. There was two things that was obvious to him at this point though, he couldn't tell this yet to Kurama and that he must be wary of Ran. _That ningen bears watching…_
> 
> ***
> 
> Kurama looked out of his window to look into the branches of the tree. Looking for the half-Koorime that usually slept there. Seeing the familiar dark shadow in the tree, he fell asleep, assured.
> 
> ***
> 
> Ran unease developed into full-blown paranoia and so he decided to check into the records himself. Though Omi was their computer expert in such things, Ran had learned somewhat of the hacking business in his time as a freelance assassin. He didn't want to bother Omi since the morrow was a school day and he knew Omi needed the energy to be vigilant but was too restless not to try to find any information on Shuuichi's friend. In any case, what he wanted to do first was to browse through the criminal records, which was open enough to them, being as they were Weiß.
> 
> Two hours and several files later, he was no closer to finding anything about the man, "Hiei Jaganashi" simply didn't exist in the records. Nor was cross-referencing those distinctive gravity-defying hair and red eyes yielding any results. Which proved nothing either, _he_ had no criminal record yet here he was a top-fledged assassin and so were the Schwartz and he'd bet that they were "clean" as well. _Blood can be washed off the records with the proper incentive if not as easily from the hands._ He thought wryly as he went to sleep.   



	4. revelations...

oniisan04

> ****   
**** ****
> 
> **Acknowledgments:** Kichigai, Lila, MT, Ken_digital_kaizer, Abby, Jara, Matrix, severan, kitty, JessieHimechan, Ryone, akai risu, hime, and others whose reviews were inadvertently deleted and those from the mailing lists! ^.^()
> 
> Usual Disclaimers apply...
> 
> **Part 4: Revelations**
> 
> Kurama grumbled. The school day was not any better today, though Kurama had manage to sneak some few minutes away from Omi-kun and Ran-niisan like right now. He had walked from the school locker room, his 'niisan always walked with him to the soccer field in an unspoken agreement but right now he was running late. Kurama was now glad that they never agreed to it verbally as well grateful for the respite, he felt like he was being the subject of a hunt with all this attention.
> 
> "Minamono-kun."
> 
> "Yes, Naoe-kun?" Kurama said, thinking frantically of excuses to say to the other boy, he really needed to be alone right now. Unfortunately, it seemed that Nagi Naoe was determined to talk to him. He was leaning on the tree with his dark brown hair mussed by the breezes as if he had been waiting there for at least a half-hour and with his face set.
> 
> "Minamono-kun—" Nagi started again, he was having a hard time getting it out, having bad experiences when confiding about his powers. He figured on taking the direct approach since the indirect one has failed miserably.
> 
> "What?" Kurama said kindly though his patience was getting to the point of no return. If this were something as inconsequential as a crush he was going to kick the ball into orbit to vent his frustrations.
> 
> "Er, what do you think of the powers of the mind?" Said Nagi assured that Kurama at least wouldn't mock him or laugh.
> 
> "Huh?" Said Kurama, deciding to play it neutral until he knew where this conversation was heading. Though it was getting—interesting.
> 
> "Telepathy, telekinesis, precognition and the like." Nagi said levitating some of the fallen leaves to prove his point in a dance that was so deliberate it couldn't be mistaken for the wind.
> 
> "Very interesting, Naoe-kun, rest assured that the knowledge of your Gift will stay with me or do you want me to tell everyone..." Kurama's eyes widened at the play of rei the boy was showing but he only showed normal admiration at his tone, his mind was frantically in calculations. Nagi Naoe had betrayed a lot of training in his manipulation of the leaves. A lot of training…and we don't know much about Naoe-kun, why…why he's as secretive as I am!
> 
> "No, Minamono-kun, please keep it as our secret." Nagi said smiling in relief, he knew well enough that Shuuichi Minamono meant what he said and waved a farewell. He's normal or he would have reacted. Though I may wish otherwise, he wouldn't have been a good addition to the Schwartz anyway. As he walked away, Nagi felt a disappointment he never thought he would feel.   
Now it faced with it, he realized that Shuuichi and his circle was the closest he'd come to having friends of his own age not counting Tot. Before he had come to Meioh High he had kept very much to himself, telling himself that he didn't need any complications with his profession. Brad and the rest of Schwartz also encouraged his isolation. They were the only friends he would need he had thought then but now, now he realized that he missed being normal. Having friends of his own age, no problems other than studies and girls and just hanging out on Saturday evenings or lazy afternoons…
> 
> It would have been good to have a friend like him for real. But how can he be friends with someone he cannot confide in totally? Lost within his own thoughts, Nagi unknowing left one very thoughtful kitsune behind him.
> 
> *** 
> 
> Hiei followed Nagi to an apartment in the suburbs. It was quite unremarkable except for one thing: Hiei couldn't sense thought emanations in or out of the place. It wasn't possibly be that there were no people there when he had seen Nagi, a red-head with messy hair, a man with glasses go in the interval that he had been observing the apartment. The only feasible explanation was that the apartment was shielded against mental intrusion. Yes, Kurama was right there was certainly something going on here. Such shielding was expensive, not only the materials but for the information in making it must have taken a lot of research. Hiei had encountered several demons that made a career of selling fake charms and such, there were a few genuine articles but these were generally lost in the trash, which is how the Reikai wanted it. The real thing would cost astronomical amounts of money to get and that without guarantee of success or, Hiei's eyes narrowed at the thought would require the cooperation of a demon from the Makai. These must be the right ones or at least a close guess.
> 
> *** 
> 
> Crawford twitched he felt something was about to happen but no vision had yet to manifest itself. There were days when he hated his Gift. It wasn't as accurate as he projected to the rest of the world. As his teammates probably suspected, it went on and off, choosing to manifest itself and sometimes it never solidified into a vision but into random feelings. His training with the Estet had honed his Gift so that he could remember most of the details and not to put off random dreams or feelings so he "saw" more than most precogs but that was all. Those who trained him admitted it wasn't the most reliable of talents and, sometimes, it made his teeth grit. He was going to put the rest of Schwartz on alert but the feeling tapered off and vanished. Uneasy but aware that nothing was going to happen now, Crawford went back to the report he was typing in his laptop.
> 
> *** 
> 
> Hiei decided to flit off to Kurama's to tell him before going to the temple to see Botan so he could arrange a meeting with the rest of the team since their regular meeting wasn't scheduled for three days. Besides it would not do to hang around the potential target, they might sense something and become suspicious.
> 
> *** 
> 
> Kurama was about to go to bed when Hiei appeared in his room. He was about to give a flippant comment but stopped he saw that Hiei's face was set grimly. Instead he sat on his bed and invited Hiei to seat himself beside him that the latter did.
> 
> Hiei didn't want to seat himself beside Kurama, he didn't know why but it amplified the strange feelings that he had been feeling around his best friend for awhile now but, k'so, the Fox would surely be hurt or offended so…
> 
> "I followed your classmate. Found him entering a 'Shielded house." Said Hiei where he sat a little a ways from Kurama. Compromising with a couple of inches between.
> 
> "So he may be the one."
> 
> "Hn, he lives with at least two people. Both of them are gaijin."
> 
> "Suspicious."
> 
> "I agree, that is why I'm going to ask Botan to call a meeting with the rest of the team. Be careful of that Nagi and…and be well Kurama." Said Hiei before he flitted off.
> 
> Kurama was too astonished to say anything. Be careful of a child, a child a fraction his real age and be well? He closed his mouth realizing that he must have looked like a landed fish for at least three minutes after Hiei had left. That was the first time he had heard Hiei care. Oh, he'd seen Hiei show enough "affection " with Yukina and himself looking out for them now and then, and there was the wrangling with Kuwabara and the subtle deference to Yuusuke. Well Kurama, do you think you've gotten to him? Maybe, maybe we have a chance. Kurama fell asleep with happy thoughts of a certain half-koorime.
> 
> *** 
> 
> Why did I say that to him? Asked Hiei to himself as he smoothly jumped from tree to tree. His own words echoed in his mind long after he had gotten away from the kitsune's house. Kurama didn't need them. For one, he was the most cautious of them all and rarely did he take on more than what he could handle. For another, why wouldn't he be well? He wouldn't be going anywhere dangerous with that 'niisan of his following his every move, unless that man himself was the threat. His eyes narrowed at the idea. Preoccupied though he was, Hiei managed to get Botan to summon Yuusuke and the Idiot for an urgent morning meeting and now he curled up in his favorite tree branch just outside of Kurama's window to sleep. But sleep wasn't coming, he checked his partner. Kurama had fallen asleep with a sweet smile curving his lips. Somehow though he didn't know why it reassured him and he also fell asleep with an identical smile curved his lips as he slipped into dreams.
> 
> ~TBC~ 
> 
>   



	5. brothers and sisters...

Oniisan

> > **Title:** Oniisan part 5   
**Author: **silrayn silverwolf   
**Disclaimers: **WK and YYH don't belong to me. 
>> 
>> **Brothers and Sisters**   
Oniisan part 5 
>> 
>> The morning meeting had come off as planned though without Kurama who couldn't cut classes with Omi on his tail. Yuusuke and Kuwabara were both for an out assault at the suburban apartment, for which his sister, Shizuru, smacked Kuwa-kun. Genkai had counseled patience, they after all didn't know if these were the only forces Estet had to throw at them and instructed Hiei to try at least to locate the chosen one. After all, their mission was to keep Bolshai in prison and out of mischief not to kill as many Schwartz personnel as possible. Besides how would they be able to trace the mysterious Estet whose security seems to be better than even a ningen government's. They were going to meet everyday now. 
>> 
>> Then Botan came in with the latest report from Koenma's agents. They had not found anything else about them in the interval of time save that they were two old gentlemen and an old lady leading the Estet. The Estet was dangerous—now Koenma tells them—in a mundane way as well since they had guns and a small private army as well as powers. Honestly! Can't Koenma say everything at once! This had Yuusuke and Kuwabara in uproar and the meeting ended on a cautionary note by Genkai. While Yuusuke and Kuwabara was still pestering Botan for not telling them before, Hiei had sped away. 
>> 
>> _Hn stupid ningen, as if it could change anything._ Hiei went out to watch house again but was disappointed to see that both cars were out. He had spent enough time in the Ningenkai to know what that meant. No one was home most likely. Then he remembered something. K'so Kurama doesn't have soccer practice today. _I have got to warn him._ Hiei flickered like an after image and was gone. He never trusted Ran and wasn't about to trust him now that there was more reason not to. 
>> 
>> Unknown to him a pair of glimmering yellow eyes stared from the foliage watching him go. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Kurama got out of class irritated. He didn't know what had happened to the team and he'd been feeling rather guilty, when he had time to really think about it, about Nagi and how he had given that secret so freely. _But it was only to Hiei… besides it was for the greater good and it turned out to be the right thing to do._ Still it felt too much like betrayal, to make him comfortable. Besides he wasn't in the mood to fill the uneasy silence between Ran and Hiei and that was what he had to do if wanted some decent conversation with Hiei without bloodshed. 
>> 
>> Waiting outside for him, glaring at each other was Ran and Hiei, it was evident that both didn't like each other too much and each was suspicious of the other. Kurama understood somewhat Hiei's suspicions, Ran coming into his life just as the Bolshai situation was coming to head was worthy of misgiving but Ran's? Maybe it was time he delved a little more about his 'niisan's past. 
>> 
>> "Ran, Hiei, have you been waiting long?" Said Kurama, masterfully managing a smile. 
>> 
>> The usual quota of hn's greeted him but in his mind… 
>> 
>> _:Kurama, Koenma said these people are dangerous in the ningen way. They have guns and lots of ningen to throw around.:_
>> 
>> _:So, what happened at the meeting?:_ Exasperation at not being there was evident in Kurama's mental voice. 
>> 
>> Kurama continued to chatter with his oniisan and Hiei while they talked in their minds. 
>> 
>> _:Botan came with some new information, little enough as it is to be had. We're also going to meet everyday until we catch these ningen.:_
>> 
>> Hiei continued to narrate what had transpired in the meeting through image and mind words while Kurama tried as hard as he could to listen and talk at the same time. Thus he missed most of what Ran had said. Hiei mostly used to this conversation caught it as it was asked. It was an innocent question for a protective brother but with other implications coming from someone like Ran. 
>> 
>> "Is anything wrong? Is someone bothering you at school?" Asked Ran in a voice that said mostly that if there was there would be hell to pay. He had obviously noted that the Fox was a little off today. 
>> 
>> "None 'niichan." Said Kurama, thinking partly about poor Omi. And the conversation had turned to inane matters. But Hiei had caught a small significant penetrating glance thrown in Kurama's direction. 
>> 
>> _Somehow he knows_, thought Hiei. In that moment, Hiei had become sure that Ran had known about Nagi. _How much else does he know? I think it's time for a confrontation between you and me ningen though I doubt now that you would wish Kurama harm_. The concern was there in the glance but was that regard tinged with irritation for an underling who may have tried to bully the boss' brother or that at an enemy trying to hit on a rival's brother he couldn't tell. There was enough concern radiating from him to be readable without probing into his mind. 
>> 
>> _:Could you please check on Ran-niichan as well:_ Neutrality was in the mental voice but Hiei knew how hard it was for the Fox to even ask such a thing. Ah at last, the Fox' suspicions were surfacing. 
>> 
>> _:I'm going to do that Fox.:_ No use telling the Fox anything and getting his hopes up. 
>> 
>> _:Thank you, Hiei.:_   
  
  

>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Ran was going home from his otouto's house when he felt a light tap on his arm. It was the small strange man that had accompanied him and his brother to the latter's house. 
>> 
>> "We need to talk." Was all that he said. 
>> 
>> "Hn." He responded, not knowing what to say as he was pulled into the privacy of an empty alley. It may seem likely that Hiei was the one he was suppose to recruit for Weiß but he felt rather out of sorts with the latter for being too deeply involved with Shuuichi-kun. 
>> 
>> _He can protect Shuuichi-kun but he also brings danger to him by association_… 
>> 
>> "What do you know about Nagi Naoe?" Asked Hiei in his bass rumble surprising Ran with the question. 
>> 
>> "I don't know what you're talking about." He must be Schwartz, and toying with me, thought Ran frantically about to draw his sword from the cane. 
>> 
>> "Don't play that game. Is he Schwartz and are you a member of that team?" His cane was knocked from his hand with almost inhuman speed. Surprised by the words and by Hiei's actions, it took him time to reply. 
>> 
>> "Nani!" He finally choked out. He was contemplating trying to attack and escape. 
>> 
>> "Don't you try it." Said Hiei implacably as if he read Ran's mind. " You've been spotted near them…with a katana and several others." 
>> 
>> Ran didn't reply this time, trying to figure out what Hiei was about. Was it blackmail? Was he trying to ask for something in return for his silence? 
>> 
>> "They're involve in dark things, not rightful for ningen to be involved in." 
>> 
>> Silence. 
>> 
>> "Look I know that you don't trust me and I don't trust you but don't we have Kurama in common at least?" Hiei yanked at the ningen's collar fast tiring of these word games, Ran winced at his strength as he was brought down to Hiei's eye level but didn't flinch. 
>> 
>> "And who are you to my otouto?" Indignation marked Ran's voice that this…this cold-blooded killer would invoke his innocent little brother's name. 
>> 
>> "He's a friend. And you need not worry that I will tell him about you and your work. I haven't at all though I could have and would if you won't tell me what I want to know." Implied threat there and then Ran was released. 
>> 
>> "Anou…don't. I will tell you what I know of the Schwartz." Said Ran glaring at the runt but caving in to his demand. The latter had handily found Ran's weakness. He didn't want to be found out by his otouto, his brother would probably be disgusted with him and he didn't want that. To loose the only bright sparkle he had in his life. So he told him, everything they knew about the Schwartz, about their abilities, their fighting skills and their clashes with his unnamed group. He didn't volunteer more than necessary nor did he tell Hiei about Weiß or his sister. _He had asked about Schwartz after all, not Weiß nor his family nor Schreint_. He ran out of things to say quite fast, since there wasn't much he had known about the Schwartz. When he was done his death glare hid his anxiety that it would be enough. 
>> 
>> "Arigato. Don't worry about Kurama finding it out from me." 
>> 
>> "Why?" 
>> 
>> Hiei hesitated for an instant before he flickered out of the alley. Ran thought he wasn't going to answer the question when a soft murmur on the wind in his wake said in his bass. 
>> 
>> "I have a sister." 
>> 
>> Ran shook his head, picked up his disguised sword and went home to the Koneko, wondering if he did the right thing. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Hiei ran as fast as he could to his observation post by the Schwartz base. As the scenery blur by, he mulled about what he heard and what he did. He can't understand why he had said what he did at the end of the conversation. He was usually very protective of Yukina that he couldn't bear to even mention his relationship with her in the company of anyone who wasn't a proven friend three times over. Why did he do that? When he thought about it, it must have been that Ran had that same frightened lost look on his face that Kurama often displayed at the thought that his dear mother or now his oniisan would find out who he really was. Besides it might hurt the Fox to find it and by the same token, he didn't mention Kurama's real identity either to Ran. It was also giving his best friend the same understanding he had been given with Yukina was concerned. Kurama might tease him about telling his sister in private but would never do such a thing for the latter understood. Though he knew that this secret was bound to come out as their paths were bound to cross on a mission. Hiei wasn't dense, he had heard the hatred in Ran's voice when he spoke of the Schwartz and found the answer to his question. The two groups were sworn enemies from the way Ran would tell it. 
>> 
>> As he settled down he saw the one called Nagi go out into the night on an errand of his own in a car. His curiosity piqued since this was the first time he'd seen Nagi go out at night. He followed the latter to a mansion at the edge of the glade of trees where he saw the young man with a young blue-haired girl. He observed for a while then decided it must be one of those ningen mating rituals and decided to leave them alone but he saw that there was another observer from the shadows. The glint of spectacles proclaimed the man to be Crawford the leader of the Schwartz, which he had heard from Ran, this made him settle back into the shadows. _Interesting…_
>> 
>> A call from the mansion had the girl had running back in, leaving Nagi alone. Crawford barred the boy from going to the mansion. 
>> 
>> "You shouldn't consort with the enemy, Nagi-kun. Face it she is Schrient and you are Schwartz." Said the man in a mild-but-commanding tone that hinted of a threat. 
>> 
>> "I remember." 
>> 
>> "You better, we will have to contend with them in taking the Chosen One you know as we will contend with Weiß." And with that both the man and the boy went back to their base. 
>> 
>> All around that had been an interesting conversation. Hiei decided to inspect the mansion and found that they hadn't even had the basic defenses. The Schrient women though seemingly practiced with their weapons had no powers and had no troops of ningen whatever. If they had the Chosen One then it would be best to snatch him or her away from them before the Schwartz got him in their dirty ningen paws. He decided to bring the team tomorrow night and help him search the premises they really can't afford to miss this opportunity. 
>> 
>> **Author's Notes: **Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers and beta-readers of my fanfiction. Some folks to acknowledge which I haven't mentioned in my posts are: Kuramama, Hiei-baby, Mina Lightstar from the KxH egroups. Shameless plug for our lil' group, if you guys like Kurama/Hiei shounen ai stuff try the [KuramaxHiei egroups][1] group, we're friendly.^__^ Rin-chan & dahlia of the yuuyuuhakusho ezboard. Botan RKT from the reikaitantei ezboard. This fanfic sure gets around, ne? Anyways from the current batch, I acknowledge Nemkess, koashura, himechan, LunarBard, Myst, Shara, a-chan

   [1]: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KuramaxHieiML



	6. enter Sohliel

Enter Sohliel

**Enter Sohliel**   
_Part 6_

> > The Weiß was hard pressed by the Schreint, helpless to interfere as the Schwartz was taking Aya-chan away from them. Ran raged as he tried to fight against his current foe Schoen. Then all of a sudden the Schreint was gone, killed by Schwartz but they were too far for Ran to affect. _K'so, they're going to get away with Aya-chan! Got to do something…_
>> 
>> A black blur took Aya-chan from Schuldich in a flash to take her to Ran and safety at least it tried. For another blur intercepted him and took the comatose bundle from him and return in where it came from. A man resolve itself from the blur with a curse. Ran was shocked to see that it was Hiei. Then the other blur resolved itself also to another man, a tall, blue-hair with feral yellow eyes similar to Farfarello's one in a dark blue suit. Ran saw him turn to Crawford and speak to him. The latter's voice carried eerily clear over the intervening space. 
>> 
>> "I'll take care of these Crawford, get the objective out." 
>> 
>> Crawford said something too soft to hear. 
>> 
>> "No, just do what you're suppose to do, I can handle this." 
>> 
>> Crawford said something and Ran cursed as Schwartz disappeared in the night with his sister. He noted that for some reason Hiei had a glazed expression on his face. 
>> 
>> "Rose Whip." He heard a shout from the shadows. And saw to his amazement to see his otouto standing just left of the blue-hair with a long green barbed whip. 
>> 
>> "Ah Yoko, so you're siding with these humans too. I wouldn't have thought it." 
>> 
>> His brother growled something and lashed out almost inhumanly fast. The blue hair guy with equal speed avoided the attack. 
>> 
>> "I forgot to introduce myself, how rude of me. I am Sohliel." The blue hair faced Ran and the rest of the Weiß and bowed mockingly. It shifted his little brother's attention to them and a stricken look entered Shuuichi's expression. 
>> 
>> "Now, Yoko, why not side with us rather than this humans. I'm sure Bolshai-sama will be most grateful for your help in his release he might even give you half of the Makai in gratitude." 
>> 
>> Icy silence and another lash which Sohliel dodged. 
>> 
>> "How is it any different from what you did to that poor boy's soul, ne? Half the Makai rather than the third Yomi promised you and the fire demon would probably be worshipfully at your feet. Judging from the way he seems to be caught in the Dreams of Power spell I threw at him and how he stayed with Mukuro." Dodging several lashes as he said it. 
>> 
>> Kurama decided to bide his time after sensing that the spell wasn't harming Hiei at all. It was he sensed an illusion spell. He needed to know about the enemy's strengths and weaknesses for he sensed that the latter wasn't showing as much as he should have. Besides they needed to know if Bolshai had other allies. This "Sohliel" seems to be most talkative and the best source of information right now. Koenma didn't seem to have the necessary information or at least none that he could have given them. He damped down his anger at Hiei's bespelled status. He didn't want to charge into a surprise trap of this enemy. 
>> 
>> "No one touches my family and gets away with it." Kurama wondered what the demon was up to and wondered at what type this one was. His ki signature was cloaked and he wasn't using his abilities much either. 
>> 
>> "Oh so these pitiful ningen are your family now are they? Will they still remain your family when you reveal your true self to them I wonder…" Silken malice threaded that statement as Sohliel unleashed a ball of ki at Hiei. 
>> 
>> Kurama, seeing the unknown ki ball coming at his partner, hurled himself in its path, praying to Inari-sama that he would make it in time. With his need to defend Hiei clouding his judgement, he missed the evil look Sohliel had trained on him as the latter threw the ball. He felt the ball of strange ki around him and then it…just vanished. Odd, Kurama didn't feel any different at all. He swished his tail and wiggled his ears in puzzlement, _what was that all about? Wait, swished his tail and wiggled his ears?_ He looked down on his body. He wore the white robe he usually wore in this form, this form that was of a seven-foot tall fox demon. Sohliel had thrown something to dispel his ningen form! 
>> 
>> "Jao Ensatsu Ken." A shout came from behind Kurama and an angry Hiei was streaking past him try his level best to split Sohliel who dodged the careless attack and disappeared with a mocking bow. And they were left with a very awkward situation.
>> 
>> **Author's Notes: **This is neccessarily short since I'm nearing the part where I'm not so happy with the way the story is going. ^__^() Of course there's also the suspense factor.*grins evilly* Thanks to LunarBard for the review and thanks to everyone who's still reading this.
>> 
>> **My Other Fics:** My romantic muse Avril has decided to take a beach vacation taking my other muse Sharve with him/her making Jari sulk as he is left with the paperwork... In short, nothing else is moving. :P


	7. run, run as fast as you can!

oniisan 7

Oniisan 

A WEIB KREUZ/YUYU HAKUSHO CROSSOVER FANFIC

VII.Run, run as fast as you can…* 

(Or the Chapter where you want to kill the fanfic author.)

Quickly, Kurama reviewed his options, he tried to transform back to his human form but discovered to his chagrin that he could not do so.

_:Hiei stall my aniki and his friends while I run for it:_

_ _

_:Hn, wouldn't it be better to confront them about their presence here?Or maybe 'fess up?:_

_ _

_:Not in this form and in this time.Can't transform.:_

_ _

_:Hn.:_Disapproval was evident on Hiei's tone but he put away the detector they were given and positioned himself in battle-ready stance.It was of no use to them now.The time it took to battle the strange youkai had allowed the Schwartz to get out of its sensor range with the "Chosen One".

Kurama backed away into the balcony to make his escape as the members of WeiB was clambering up the staircase.He reached out with his ki to the plants in the garden below coaxing some vines to grow up into the balcony.

_Hurry. Hurry. Hurry._

The vine was almost in the right height when he saw that it might not be enough.His brother would get close enough to see what happened and would probably give chase despite any distraction provided by Hiei.Kurama knew that his cover was blown but he'd rather have that discussion in his own terms not in these conditions.He tried again to transform but it just won't take, on a desperate gambit he tried his kitsune form and was rewarded with a twinge.He transformed completely into his fox form and used the resulting mist to cover his get away.The vine wrapped itself around his furry middle and made is way down under the balcony so that even if anyone had peered down from where he had come from would see him.

_How am I going to explain this to Ran-'niichan?_His stomach cramped in nervousness just to think about the confrontation that had just been delayed not totally eliminated.He had absolutely no plan on coping with this turn of events.

***

Hiei watched impassively as WeiB cleared the steps.

"Who was that and where did Schuiichi-chan go?"Ran demanded as he made it on the second level of the building.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the pockets of Hiei's cloak an indicator light was flashing unheeded.It was the device given to them by Botan to ascertain the identity of the "Chosen One".

"Hn.None of your business."

"I am making it my business."Ran drew his sword to mirror Hiei's stance.

"Hn."Hiei said charging to disarm his opponent._Disarm not kill._Despite Kurama's current difficulty with his brother, Hiei knew he'd be in big trouble with his friend if he injured Ran in any way. 

The rest of the tall redhead's team moved to interfere but he waved them back.Clearly, Ran saw this as an issue between him and Hiei and wanted to settle it by himself.More the fool he, no ordinary ningen could match Hiei's speed or the fire demon's sword-skill. 

Ran had somehow managed to evade Hiei's first charge barely.

"Rei Gun."

Hiei was going in for another pass when an energy ball passed him by and hit the far wall.

"Um, guys, I don't know what this is about but I think you would like to continue this elsewhere?"Yuusuke said having gotten everybody's exclusive attention.He was waving his hand in the direction of Kurama's distraught classmate who held one of the Schreint females, the blue haired one Hiei saw him talk to earlier in the week.The one-eyed Schwartz member had downed the female with a thrown knife earlier in the fight.The brunette's ki level was rising sharply and he was now accumulating enough ki to glow even in ningen sight.Eerie blue dusted dark hair and dark eyes were almost invisible under the glow of power.It was clear to see that the young telekinetic had been pushed to the brink of sanity and was about to release a massive blast of power, not the best person to be close to just now.

"Hn."Hiei said sheathing his sword as Ran did so.

Both the Urameshi Team and WeiB went their own separate ways after that anxious to be gone from the place.

In the deep darkness of a cloak pocket, an indicator light blipped a few more times before growing silent.

Later as he observed the fury of the young Schwartz rage break over the skies in a massive outflow of ki energy from a safe distance, Hiei wondered what Kurama's oniisan thought of the situation and of the Urameshi Team as a whole. 

***

As he waited in front of Meioh High, Ran felt his frustration mount at being led around by the nose especially about something potentially dangerous as this.It was the same feeling that prompted him to draw his sword at Hiei though he knew it was quite futile to do so.To be honest, the feeling had been there for a while now, far longer than the event in the Schreint mansion.Ever since he had known about Hiei there was a part of him that held a suspicion that all was not as it seemed but he had stilled it and continued to insist that it was only Hiei but it wasn't.His brother kept a very important secret from him…a dangerous secret.

Schuuichi had made him scarce for three days.Neither Omi nor him had had much luck getting his little brother alone for so much as a minute.He didn't know how the latter did it but Schuuichi had managed to go to and fro school without having to pass him.Ran had waited diligently at outside the house and by the school gate but he still wasn't able to catch so much as a glimpse of his little brother.

Omi had better luck. He had been able to speak with Schuuichi.Noncommittal conversations mostly about schoolwork and ordinary things since Schuuichi had been extremely careful not to be caught alone with thee genki WeiB member.

_How does he do it? And what is he hiding that he's so afraid to tell me?_

As the minutes dragged on, Ran frowned at the schoolgirls who tried to strike a conversation with him recognizing him no doubt from the Koneko. Schuuichi was never this late, it looked like his otouto wasn't going to show…again._Damned!_

***

Somewhere in the Meioh High grounds…

"Kurama, this is absolute the last time I'm going to do this!"Hiei said as wrestled to keep his balance on the tree, made ungainly by additional weight. 

_:This is the only way. Hiei I just need to avoid Ran-niichan until I can find a suitable explanation for all this.: _

_ _

Preferably something that didn't involve his identity or anything close to the truth.Hiei knew the Fox and knew he would try almost anything to protect his identity.Even when the case was hopeless it seems.As far as Hiei was concerned it was only a matter of time before Kurama had to 'fess up, why prolong the agony?But he'd never say that to the Fox, it was Kurama's decision to make as telling Yukina was Hiei's._Besides it would probably hurt the Fox to admit it…_

_ _

"Hn."Hiei's said unimpressed by the explanation.

_:Please Hiei.:_Kurama licked the fire demon on the nose and curled closer to him.That did it, Hiei decided that he'd do this as long as Kurama needed him to and sped off to the Hatanaka residence. 

***

*- The title of this chapter is from the fairy tale "The Gingerbread Man".The full line goes: "Run, run as fast as you can.You can't catch me!I'm the Gingerbread Man."

**Author's Note:** I haven't got my hard disk yet and those folks who have beta read this portion might be wondering what happened since this chapter's been drastically altered.As I have said I hated the first version of this chapter, things are going to go a bit differently from here on though I will still use the data I have in my old file when I get it back.Thanks to those who reviewed this fanfic for chapter 6 **– Yanagi-sen, Kit, LunarBard, Sylvia Black, Hoshichie, chibi yoko, Kim, Lucathia, Abby, me3gogi, akai risu, yukina2 of ezboard**.Dahlia-san here's you're Hiei-Ran sword fight though it isn't much ^__~.Um, I hope you folks will not try to kill me because of your disappointment in this chapter.Remember, if you do, you'll never see the end of this fic!^___^ () 

**My Other Fics:** I almost had "Alcyone" done when my hard disk crashed.:_(Happily the data is said to be retrievable so my C/A arc in the wk fandom will be sort of ended as soon as I get it back.


	8. when all the cows come home

Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz or Yu Yu Hakusho…only this goofy crossover…

> > **Disclaimer: **I don't own Weiss Kreuz or Yu Yu Hakusho…only this goofy crossover… 
>> 
>> **VIII. When All the Cows Come Home**
>> 
>> "Come on in, Shu-chan's about ready to come down from his room." Kurama heard his mother say from where he had been lurking in the stairwell. Well might have a go down and face the music. If he didn't go to their Saturday meeting 'kaasan would become suspicious and pry. Something he didn't want to happen with him being very active in his Reikai Tantei duties. All he would need now was for his mother to unearth the truth to add to his troubles. Not that she had ever done so all these years. Kurama was paranoid about such things. 
>> 
>> "I'm here, Ran-niichan." Shuuichi said going the stairs oh so cheerfully. 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "Let's go to the park." _Where I have a slight advantage over you, if things turned iffy._
>> 
>> "Hn." It was an unhappy agreement at best but Kurama did not press the issue. He didn't dare to in front of his mother. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> They went into a glade in the park where they were relatively unobserved. 
>> 
>> "So tell me what this all about!" Ran said finally letting his impatience get a hold of him. Though he a fair bit of the impatience were born of the way Shuuichi had been evading him all week, some of it had been concern over his little brother's welfare and that knowledge made him irritable. It helped that Naoe kid was no longer going to the same school but still… Schwartz had something now to back up their suspicions and that would make them try harder despite handicaps. 
>> 
>> "What is this all about?" Kurama said managing the most innocent of expressions. 
>> 
>> "Hn." Ran said in an annoyed huff. 
>> 
>> "Ummm…" Kurama said backing up slightly only to find out that he was surrounded. Ken-san stood between two trees to the east, Omi-kun sitting on a rock to the west, the blond man was leaning on one of the trees to the south and of course his Ran-'niichan facing him in the north. He was so doomed. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Youji stood in his position tensely waiting for anything to happen. He had been with Ran that night when they had tried to rescue Aya-chan from the Schreint. He had seen the ki ball come Ran's way during the battle with Hiei and was wary. He didn't know what could those things do but he'd been in the business end of one of Nagi's force balls at least once to know that they did something unpleasant. He also remembered that this was the one who supposedly took on a number of trained assassins by his lonesome, and gulped. Hopefully they wouldn't need to contain the youngster too long before the latter gave in to Ran's request. It was reasonable enough. Youji knew both Ken and Omi hadn't misgivings about the advisability of cornering Shuuichi like this mainly because they thought that the youngster wouldn't blast them out of the way. Hopefully they were right. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "You will not avoid the issue." Ran said implacably at Kurama, divining his intent. 
>> 
>> "Meep!" Kurama said startled at that. He never saw this side of his aniki before. 
>> 
>> "Shuuichi-kun…" 
>> 
>> "And how about you, Ran-'niichan?" Kurama said sweetly, gathering his wits together. He decided to counterattack in the most effective way possible. Ran could not be at all innocent if he had been at that particular scene. 
>> 
>> "You first?" Ran asked, trying to get out of his share of confessing. He knew he might have to come clean as well as the young one but he having advantage of age may well postpone for a time if not forever. 
>> 
>> "Hai." Kurama agreed after it became apparent that no other concessions would be had. 
>> 
>> "Where should I start, aniki?" Kurama said rather formally trying to gauge what the latter saw and what he could still get away with. 
>> 
>> "About your disappearance the other night and who that tall white-haired guy and the blue-haired guy were… And about that the powers you and your friends possess…" 
>> 
>> _This looks very bad for me…_
>> 
>> "Well it's a long story…" _And that's not the least of it._
>> 
>> "We got time, we're not going anywhere." 
>> 
>> Kurama finally capitulated. The determined look on Ran's face made it all to clear that he wasn't stopping short of the truth this time. Resigned he decided to give in before things turned ugly_. As if things can get any uglier than this…_
>> 
>> "Well, 'niisan…" Said Kurama in his alto voice. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as well as trying to avoid Ran's eyes rather like a schoolboy anticipating a scolding. Then he began to explain about an outcast fox-demon kit called Yoko, a "name" that had simply meant "Fox" in the kitsune tongue. His rise to power through the slave pits and how he had earned his freedom through countless fights even before he was supposedly weaned. How the few times he had tried to have a family was torn by vengeance of the kitsune clans who called him outlaw for his color. How he had earned a name for himself as the best fighting thief in the demon world. Earning the right to name himself and the name he had chosen was Kurama. 
>> 
>> Naming some of his atrocities, more specifically those that made him notorious in the demon world. How once tired of being hunted, he had decided to gather a bandit group one of the greatest ever known and perform an act that would forever stun the kitsune clans. The Hundred-Fold Vengeance it was called now, an entire clan slaughtered for the sins of a few of its men-folk. His partners that he had betrayed or outlived… 
>> 
>> _Kuronue…_
>> 
>> And the hardest, how that same fox-demon not a kit this time but full grown fox demon was being hunted and in desperation had run into the Ningenkai to hide in the womb of a woman Shiori displacing the human soul that was to be her child. How she had become the mother of his heart and what he did for her when he learned that she had been dying. 
>> 
>> "…I couldn't have let her down, she was the first person to really care for me, she even gave me a name that I didn't have to work for. And you 'niisan, you were the older brother I wanted but never had, how Ayaka would have been if they hadn't poisoned his thoughts against me. So I couldn't have told you about this, it would have endangered you and besides I thought and still think that you would reject me…" 
>> 
>> Kurama spared almost none of his story to the man he now considered as part of his family. 
>> 
>> "I guess it's my turn ne?" Asked Ran in an even tone after a lengthy silence. He really didn't know how to react to what was said and decided to pass it in favor of explaining his side. He had been ready for lies, for deception but this? This was too outrageous to be false. 
>> 
>> _They always said the truth was stranger than what you could imagine…_
>> 
>> Kurama seemed to understand that he needed more time didn't argue. 
>> 
>> Ran explained what happened to his father, stepmother and sister in detail. How he had taken the option of turning informer to pay for Aya-chan's bills. When that wasn't quite enough, a stint with the Crashers, and when the Crashers had been annihilated to freelance his service as an assassin when he discovered the Weiß Kreuz. He had become one of them then, one of the White Hunters. How he had assassinated for the money. Yes, they were corrupted and cruel, doing harm to their fellow men but he had killed them for his own selfish reasons as a means to his ends. How he had been able to avenge himself and his family on Reiji Takatori. How Schrient used Aya-chan to lure him into their clutches and how he felt it was his fault in the first place since it was one of their missions that killed the master of the Schrient, why they wanted their vengeance on him in the first place. 
>> 
>> It was a long time since he had confided in anyone like this and was glad that his teammates were gracefully giving Kurama and him relative privacy. 
>> 
>> "'Niisan?" Kurama asked uncertainty in his eyes. Suddenly, he rushed to embrace Ran. 
>> 
>> Ran didn't know quite how to react. 
>> 
>> _This was all going too fast…_
>> 
>> Kurama felt Ran's reluctance. He sighed out his disappointment. He let go and gave Ran a little apologetic smile. 
>> 
>> _I knew it was too much to ask that he accept me…_
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Hiei sat on his tree branch in a contemplative mood. The Fox was in his room tossing in bed. It was good for the Fox that he had no school tomorrow for dawn was just breaking on the horizon. Besides sleep, Hiei had known that Kurama had needed some comfort after being rejected by his brother for what he was and he had given what comfort he could. He had watched the confrontation in the nearby tree and had wanted to knock some sense into Ran but knew that the Fox wouldn't have liked it if he had butted in like that. When had he begun to be _this_ protective of the Fox he wondered? When he had felt Kurama change into his youko form, Hiei had assumed that the Fox had been injured and that broke the illusion spell he had been under. He had been so angry with Sohliel for injuring his Fox so. Wait, _His_ Fox when did he think of Kurama of his? And the dreams that the spell magnified, Hiei had no experience about relationships aside from the one he had with Yukina. Being friends were hard enough for him but to acknowledge that he wanted more, much more, from Kurama was almost impossible to admit. Yet the feeling was slowly demolishing his emotional barriers. It frightened him. 
>> 
>> _What if he doesn't want the same? No one's ever wanted me before, why should he be different._
>> 
>> Yet, yet he could hope and…_dream._
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Kurama curled up in his bed, feeling miserable. He knew very well that his Ran-niichan would not accept him for what he was and feared it and now his fears were realized. Ran had left with not a backward glance at him or his usual affection. He'll just have to live with it. In addition, Ran didn't exactly promise to keep quiet about this. Kurama held an additional dread that his 'niichan might try to tell his kaasan and then his fat would really be in the fire. He might be close to his brother considering the amount of time they spent together but it was like a candle to a bonfire as to what he felt for his mother. _Oh 'niichan…_
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Ran's mind was in turmoil after all that he had heard this morning, correction yesterday morning. _My little brother wasn't completely human? Were those moments of brotherly affections, the caring all a lie? He said it himself he is youkai demon… demon can't really care? Or could they if they had clans? But he took over your brother's body and displaced his soul… But could you see anyone else as your brother?He cares for you and that grouchy Hiei and the rest of the team but how much of the caring is feigned? A mask, he is after all a charming thief. But all that caring and thoughtfulness couldn't be all fake, his mask would have slipped by now wouldn't it? We have been together for so long, his patience would have snapped and let it out if there was anything to let out wouldn't he? Unscrupulous, as he was?_
>> 
>> But Shuuichi--no, Kurama--had accepted Ran… And that probably bothered him most of all. Someone who did that right off would be either pretending or…or maybe Kurama had seen as much as he had said he had. A thousand years in the demon world… 
>> 
>> The Makai, from the way Kurama had told it, was a harsher world than this where an orphan would have no chance at all a life rather than an existence. Where the strong lived and the weak perished in a greater degree than here in the Ningenkai, he acknowledged. Here there was some chance that an orphan would be taken in by one of the orphanages to have good life, injustice here wasn't comparable to the magnitude in the Makai from the glimpse he had seen through Shuuichi's retelling. A cross between the cave and the gladiatorial stadiums with a dash of the jungle thrown. 
>> 
>> _Do I have the right to judge him? He could have possibly killed your real brother…but can your really want it otherwise…_
>> 
>> _Maybe this is all a dream and I'll wake up tomorrow._
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Ohayo, Aya-kun." Both Ken and Omi chorused. 
>> 
>> "Ohayo, Ken, Omi." Ran knew something was brewing, both had determined looks on their faces. And he was right. 
>> 
>> "About your otouto, Shu—Kurama…" Said Ken not wasting any time on any sort of preamble. 
>> 
>> "What is it?" Ran interrupted him in his most intimidating voice, hoping Ken wouldn't continue. His thoughts were troubling enough without their interference to his way of thinking. 
>> 
>> "We think that you should give him a chance. No one bad can be that good with children or take some time to give sympathy and aid to the enemy, he even checked if Nagi was all right after the incident." Ken had seen Kurama corner Nagi at one time after school and had not commented on it especially since the meeting had gone on quite friendly-like. He knew it would have made Aya go ballistic if he had said something beforehand. Personally, Ken had thought Aya overprotective of the lad and after the incident, he was sure Kurama could take good care of himself and didn't need the tailing. 
>> 
>> "Or tolerate my shadowing for more than a week, day in day out, or tolerate those scary fan-girls and fan-boys of his with good humor." Added Omi, shivering in distaste at the thought of the 'Fan Club'. "He has his own following in school, you know, as we have in the shop." 
>> 
>> "I'll think of it." 
>> 
>> "Aya-kun!" 
>> 
>> "I said I'll think of it." Giving both the younger members of Weiß his death-glare. Stopping all conversation for the moment. _Why was it that the other members of his team could accept all this so easily while he couldn't was beyond him…_
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> It was another day at school. Shuuichi trudged about with his usual cheerfulness. If you didn't note a certain lackluster glitter to his eyes when he thought no one was looking. Omi took note of it and sighed. _Aya-kun, you are one cold blooded baka_. 
>> 
>> "Konichiwa, Shuuichi-kun." Omi said sitting down as usual at the lunch table with his usual genki smile showing that at least he hadn't change his opinion of Shuuichi with this turn of events. 
>> 
>> "Konichiwa, Omi-kun." Kurama smiled his first genuine smile of the day, grateful that Omi had at least treated him normally_. If Omi-kun can accept me, maybe there is a chance that 'niichan could too…_
>> 
>> "Ken-kun would like to ask you if you would be willing to help him with the children again sometime…" 
>> 
>> Yes it was definite comfort that at least two of his 'niichan's teammates accepted him for what he was. The day was a little brighter but still Ran's rejection weighed heavily on Kurama. Besides that, Ran seemed to avoid him and he hadn't had the opportunity to tell his older brother about their demon heritage and the perils that accompanied it. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> At last, a problem he could vent his frustration on. The Estet was supposed to be due sometime tonight in the airport that's why he and the rest of Weiß were lurking about waiting for them. They charged out of hiding only to end up stalemated with Sakura-chan pointing out a gun at him as their target whizzed away on their limousine. He was about to try for disarming Sakura-chan when he heard a cry. 
>> 
>> "Ran-'niichan!" Shuuichi hurled himself in between Ran and Sakura, throwing his whip in front of him to catch the gun squarely on the muzzle. 
>> 
>> Startled, Sakura fired. The bullet would have hit the ground missing Kurama but for Hiei. Hiei tried to slice at the gun in the Kurama's wake and Sakura recoiled to protect it simultaneously. Hiei manage to hit magazine, not hard enough to slice it but the force of the blow had made the gun explode managing to catch Kurama unaware. He had dodged but ended up getting hit by the blast on his left side. Blood bloomed on several places on Kurama's tunic. Sakura crumpled to the pavement. Everyone was shocked. 
>> 
>> "Kurama!" 
>> 
>> "Shuuichi!" 
>> 
>> "Sakura!" 
>> 
>> Hiei caught Kurama as he fell. He had only beaten Ran to it because he had been closer and was inhumanly quicker than the assassin. 
>> 
>> ~TBC~ 


	9. kitsune in a flower shop

IX

> >   

>> 
>> **Disclaimer: **I don't own Weiss Kreuz or Yu Yu Hakusho…only this goofy crossover…   

>> 
>> **IX. Kitsune in a Flower Shop**
>> 
>> "We should bring him to the hospital." Said Omi, concern in his voice. Hiei just said "Hn" and blurred with his burden even before Omi was quite finished speaking. 
>> 
>> "Don't worry about Kurama, Hiei's brought him to our resident healer to be tended. It wasn't a dangerous wound or we'd have seen him go youko." Yuusuke moved to assure the other team before they did anything foolish like trying to take him and Kuwabara out to find out where Kurama was taken by Hiei. 
>> 
>> Ken went to Sakura since everyone else seems to be preoccupied with Kurama. She didn't look to be injured at all. He checked and there seems to be miraculously no injuries. Thank whatever gods that be. He told everyone and Ran breathed easier for it. _There, whatever you say, you were worried more about him than you were about her, Aya-kun you are lying to yourself if you say you haven't accepted Shuuichi-Kurama as your brother._
>> 
>> What happened next was almost anticlimactic. A car suddenly came from no where swerved into their group. Everyone barely managed to get out of the way. The door opened and Sakura was levitated into the car as it took off again. Schwartz! 
>> 
>> "When will we be able to see if he's all right." Ran asked, concern evident in his voice. Despite his ambivalent feelings towards Shuuichi, he was his little brother after all and he was really worried. Not to mention the thought of leaving him with Hiei wasn't exactly sitting well with him especially after what happened tonight_._
>> 
>> _Be fair, Ran what happened tonight was probably an accident…but even so, Hiei should have been more careful._
>> 
>> "Does this happen often?" 
>> 
>> "No, Kurama and Hiei is our best team." 
>> 
>> _Even so, I don't like it_. _What about the other time with the demon called Sohliel?_
>> 
>> "Where are they?" A death-glare accompanied that statement to which both Reikai Tantei was oblivious. They have had too much of that from Hiei as it was. 
>> 
>> "We really can't tell you." Yuusuke said and he and Kuwabara lit out of the airport before Ran had a chance to grab them and shake some answers from them. Fighting demons gave you speed for times when you really need it like now. After all, Yuusuke didn't want Hiei on his back for endangering Yukina and Kuwabara didn't want his Yukina-chan endangered either. 
>> 
>> " Well have to report to Kritiker to do." Ran said reining in his temper. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Kurama woke up in his own futon to a concerned fire demon. 
>> 
>> "Fox, are you all right, now?" 
>> 
>> "I think so. Thank you for bringing me to Yukina." Kurama smiled at Hiei. The smile was the special one he usually gave the fire demon. 
>> 
>> "No need, it was all my fault." Self-condemnation was in his voice. Kurama wouldn't have been hurt in the first place if he hadn't interfered. And yet here he was, sitting beside the Fox and being smiled upon as if nothing of that sort had happened. Guilt made him stand up to go but Kurama made a sound that made him look back questioning. 
>> 
>> "No it wasn't, it was an accident. I won't have you blaming yourself for something you aren't responsible for." 
>> 
>> "But…" 
>> 
>> "No buts, you don't deserve the blame." 
>> 
>> "But…" 
>> 
>> Kurama couldn't think of anything else to do to shut Hiei up so he gave him a teasing kiss. 
>> 
>> Hiei found Kurama's sweet mouth on his and was quick to take advantage of it. It was just like the ones in his dreams though much better for being real. He clumsily put in his tongue instinctively wanting to taste the youko. If Kurama was surprised by Hiei's reaction it was eclipsed by the surprise he felt at his own reaction. He slid his arms around his friend and kissed him back with a thoroughness that showed at least a thousand years experience. 
>> 
>> Suddenly, his door had opened and standing there was his oniisan. Ran's jaw was hanging down so low, Kurama feared that it would hit the floor. 
>> 
>> "Ran-'niichan, how good of you to visit." Kurama said extricating himself from Hiei's embrace. 
>> 
>> "Hn. Bad timing." 
>> 
>> "What were you doing with K—Shuuichi?" 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "Shuuichi, are you a willing party in this?" Death-glare at Hiei who glared back. 
>> 
>> "H-Hai." 
>> 
>> "I disapprove of it! It's bad enough that you're associating with him…" 
>> 
>> "Hn." Hiei said with a smirk. _You're a fine one to judge._
>> 
>> The tone was so obvious that even Ran caught it. 
>> 
>> "'Niichan, he has point, you're so much alike you know…" Kurama stopped short of snapping, _he_ had about enough of Ran ordering his life about. _He doesn't accept me, why…_
>> 
>> "I didn't even want you to be associating with me in the first place." 
>> 
>> The pain radiated in Ran's voice stopped whatever else Kurama was about to say. Kurama rose despite still being weak from his injury and blood loss and hugged Ran before the latter could avoid him. Anger forgotten, he was tentatively trying to soothe the pain that was in his oniisan's voice not sure if he was welcome but trying to nonetheless. Ran allowed himself to be soothed, accepting the comfort that he felt in his little brother's care and realized only then that he did accept him. That he had forgiven Kurama for his deception and what else he might have done before he had know him, it just took his brain sometime to catch up with his heart. No matter what he did in the past this was Shuuichi-kun, someone who had loved him these months and willing to accept and love him still after learning of his past. This was genuine, spontaneous—real. 
>> 
>> _And Kurama accepted me why shouldn't I accept him. Come to think of it I might be worse than Kurama, all things considering. Sh--Kurama did those things for survival in a world that seemed so radically different from this one. He had done it to survive and not knowing any better but he did what he did fully cognizant of his actions and there were alternatives, none the least of them was to move on and forget. I know better…_
>> 
>> Shuuichi—no—Kurama had an awful past, yes, but then his childhood was hell. With a little love, he turned out one of the most unspoiled people Ran'd ever known. Ran finally let go of the guilt he had been harboring, no matter what Kurama did before, no matter what he had done and he had done to the soul that should have been born in his place, Ran couldn't fault him. Ran couldn't imagine anyone else as his little brother. He felt a hatred for those slavers and all those kitsune who had hurt him, if any of them were around now Ran would have run them through with his katana! A sentiment that was futile judging from the way that demon moved. His arms tightened around Kurama anyway. 
>> 
>> Kurama looked up into Ran's eyes, seeing the fierce protectiveness in them decided to snuggle even closer. 
>> 
>> "'Niichan…" 
>> 
>> "Little fox, Kurama-chan, do you really like him? I mean really like him in that way? Truth now." Ran pushed Kurama away a bit to see his otouto's face and assess his answer. 
>> 
>> Kurama smiled at the endearment and thought about lying to reassure both Hiei and Ran but something in Ran's eyes made him hesitate. Kurama looked at Hiei apologetically. 
>> 
>> Hiei braised himself to hear the worst, closing his eyes he had known the risk of caring and accepted that the Fox may not feel the same no matter how it hurt. The next words however surprised both Ran and him. 
>> 
>> "I don't know yet. We never have had the chance to talk about it. But we _have_ been best of friends since I was nine. He was the only one who knew of my youkai heritage. He …understands my position in the Makai. I don't have anyone else I have been able to trust as completely as I did him. I think I might love him in time." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "I can't expect you to like it 'niichan, you think of Hiei as a cold-blooded killer but he is more as you are. Both of you care for others more than you would admit, others beyond family though you act as if you don't." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "I know you still don't like it, 'niichan, but could you trust me at least?" Pleaded Kurama. 
>> 
>> "Hn." A deeper one this time that of resignation. That was all Ran could do, he was never good at denying his imouto anything within reason and it seemed now that he couldn't do it either with his otouto. 
>> 
>> "Thanks, Ran-'niichan." Giving Ran a second hug. "You won't be disappointed I swear." 
>> 
>> "No sleeping with him till you're completely sure though! If possible when you're 'married'." 
>> 
>> "Hai." Kurama begins to wear a sweat-drop as Ran started to run down his guidelines for dating with an emphasis on the fact that both Kurama and Hiei were teammates. 
>> 
>> "No hanky-panky during missions…" 
>> 
>> "Hai." The sweat-drop got bigger and bigger at each additional rule. Kurama nearly fainted when Ran insisted on going each and every rule with Hiei, convinced that there was going to be bloodshed. To Kurama's relief, Hiei seemed to be either stunned or so rapt that he didn't utter a word but "hn" in Ran's entire recital. 
>> 
>> _Oh dear, it looks like Hiei's going to get the same treatment he dishes out to Kuwa-kun._ Thought Kurama half in amusement and half in alarm as Ran gave Hiei a suspicious look for his silence. 
>> 
>> "Which one of your teammates do you think is more tolerant of homosexuality do you think?" 
>> 
>> "Nani!" Both of them exclaimed. 
>> 
>> "You heard me right." 
>> 
>> "Yuusuke, probably, though that might be pushing it. Why, 'niichan?" 
>> 
>> "I thought so. Because I can't be with you all the time, especially on missions, I'm going to ask him to be your chaperone." 
>> 
>> Both Hiei and Kurama fell over in astonishment. 
>> 
>> _That's, that's so archaic and I'm suppose to be the antique around here. _Kurama fought down the desire to giggle or protest that he was no delicate lady to need such precautions. Knowing that Ran was quite serious and had his best interests in mind quelled both impulses. Then Kurama remembered something and nothing was quite as funny as before. 
>> 
>> "Ah, 'niichan I have something to tell you…" 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "It's about our youkai ancestry…" Kurama spent the rest of the afternoon explaining about the vagaries of youkai inheritance amongst humans with youkai ancestry starting with Yuusuke's case. "…Yuusuke's youkai inheritance manifested after he had died twice…" 
>> 
>> Hiei had stopped listening to the words he knew about all of this already. He could have left but he enjoyed the sound of the Fox's voice besides he lazily eyed Ran, gauging the latter's reaction. 
>> 
>> "In our family's case the genetic key is for possession, permanent possession, our ancestor was a youkai criminal as decreed by the Reikai for his crimes against countless innocents. Bolshai had anticipated his capture and readied for a way to escape via possessing and destroying one descendant…" Kurama went on to explain the mechanics of the rite and so they picked Aya-neechan. Since she isn't so well connected to her body at the moment it might be easier for them." 
>> 
>> Ran's expression swung from cautious belief to horror. 
>> 
>> "I—I should volunteer, they would let Aya-chan..." 
>> 
>> "No, 'niichan. That's no option…only one descendant would have been 'chosen' from what we know of these things." 
>> 
>> Hiei barred all escape by standing between the window and the door. The Fox would never forgive him for letting Ran go out with this kind of resolve to sacrifice his very self. 
>> 
>> "Besides, they wouldn't take you anyway, 'niichan, they already have the perfect sacrifice… 'niichan, please don't." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> It took Kurama a good two hours to convince Ran not to take such a rash course of action and he got it reluctantly. 
>> 
>> "We'll rescue her together 'niichan don't worry we will." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> Ran left the Minamino residence with renewed resolve to save his sister no matter what from the cult that had her. There was so much more at stake now than ever before. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Weiß had managed to rescue Aya-chan with the inside help of the still missing Sakura. Ran had been more than adamant that they not tell the Urameshi Team about it since he didn't want the little fox up and about so soon after being injured. They had been lucky that that demon "Sohliel" didn't show up. But then, they had got there when Schwartz had moved on to another hideout so maybe that wasn't luck. 
>> 
>> The initial operation was secret but they weren't able to keep it a secret for long. A few hours after they've rescued his sister, his brother and the rest of the Urameshi team was at their doorstep. They had waited for the shop to close but that was all. 
>> 
>> "We're here to help, 'niichan." Kurama said with his normal cheerfulness. 
>> 
>> "Yes, I, Kazuma Kuwabara, is always willing to help protect a damsel in dis…" 
>> 
>> "Itai! You're embarrassing us." Yuusuke said, whopping Kuwabara on the head hard to shut him up. 
>> 
>> "Hn, Baka." 
>> 
>> "So how are we going to defend Aya-chan, Ran-'niichan?" 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Kurama sat back comfortably against the counter reaching with his ki to the plant life around him. They took shifts to guard Aya-chan with the Weiß. One of the Urameshi team was always with her in the mornings and afternoons when the Weiß had to mind shop. There was no point giving the Schwartz an opportunity to snatch her again even if evidence indicated that they operated only at night. 
>> 
>> The flower shop was a most welcoming place to Kurama. Almost as good as a garden with all the verdant ki available and what he could do with it. Twist it; play around with it using his will. The place fairly hummed with power. In places like this was where he felt his power the best, his tails—all six of them—would have been wagging in delight at the power. A row of his favorite plants, roses, lined the closed shop and he worked his ki into them with a half-mischievous intent. No one was going to take his sister away from him as long as he can defend her. The attack didn't come on that night or the night after that. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Another night of guard dog--no fox--duty, Kurama sighed. This was getting them no where. They should be out assassinating the Estet trio or trying to find their whereabouts then Aya-chan would be completely safe. Or trying to wake her up. With all that has happened, they deemed it imprudent for Hiei to try and maybe get into trouble in a fight. That was Kurama's argument he had no intention of endangering Hiei for someone who might no be roused anyway. Ran-niichan argued but couldn't fault the reasoning. It did help that he pouted one or two times. Ran seemed to find his pouts as adorable as Hiei did. He stretched his youki again to the plants as he had the past hour. He had to be ready if the attack occurred tonight. 
>> 
>> A sudden crash came from the front of the shop. Kurama risked looking up over the counter to see that an explosion of some sort had breached the front of the shop. Schwartz was pouring through the gap. There were only two of them and Sohliel. The rest must be with Ran-niichan's group. Kurama activated the roses in the front of the shop to lash at the newcomers. 
>> 
>> Crawford and Schuldich was being protected by Sohliel, the vines weren't doing much damage but it did keep the sneaky demon from doing anything. Hopefully keeping the demon from doing anything. Both Ken-kun and Omi-kun could probably cope with the rest if they should discover that Aya-chan wasn't in the upstairs bedroom. 
>> 
>> They had warded the shop from detection of ki but that didn't mean that the canny Sohliel wouldn't have figured out what they were going to do. As of the time they haven't figured out what that one's power was. He was too wily to do anything more than make paltry illusions that a class B demon could create. He must be old yet he left no records to identify him by, a good indication of intelligence. As Kurama knew, he himself didn't have a record despite his many conquests. They didn't even have a reputation to go by. Most good demons trip themselves up with their tongue since boasts have a way of circulating in the Makai. But that wasn't a failing of this demon either, no one has heard of anyone named "Sohliel" ever before in the Makai. Maybe it wasn't his real name, maybe it was assumed but they didn't have the time to look. 
>> 
>> Somehow, they didn't count on the combination of both ki power and ningen weapons. Kurama was busy sending his ki into the surrounding plants and relied on his companions for detecting other threats. The cut flowers in the arrangements were particularly hard to manipulate more so than their living relatives since each variety had to infused with enough ki and no more. When Kurama realized that both Omi and Ken were both out of commission it was far too late. He was starting to feel fuzzy and was barely managed to clamp on the gas mask assigned to him. Being only partly human the sleeping gas took a longer time to affect him than it did the others but it did have an effect. Groggily, he tried to protect his compatriots and Aya-chan but his reactions were becoming quite slow. 
>> 
>> _Damned where were Hiei, Ran-niichan and Youji-niisan_? 
>> 
>> At this thought, one of the "missing" members of Schwartz came in from the back part of the shop, Naoe-kun. _Did the gas disable everyone in the top floors? But Hiei couldn't have been affected, unless this gas originated from the Makai_. 
>> 
>> He saw Aya-chan lifted from the floor and sail out of the window. He was having a hard time, as it was to protect himself from the Schwartz. 
>> 
>> "Don't worry, Shuuichi-kun, we'll take good care of the ningen girl." 
>> 
>> "Should we take him too?" Crawford made a gesture at Kurama. 
>> 
>> "No, that's no tame fox. We'll have a hard time keeping him without drugs. Leave him be." 
>> 
>> "Fox?" A nasal voice asked. Ah that was Schuldich… that was the last thing Kurama heard before succumbing to the darkness. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Hmmm. Where?" Kurama awakened to a room that was not his. It was utterly neat, Spartan even. Almost nothing about personality touched the room except for the color of the bed covers they were blue plaid in diamond pattern, austere. 
>> 
>> "You're in your oniisan's room." Hiei said as he came in. 
>> 
>> "What happened…?" 
>> 
>> "That night Sohliel muffled the struggle downstairs and caused a few illusions that everything was all right, the Schwartz came up to fight us or so we thought. We were about to kill them when they were able to escape from the window or so we thought. We chased the berserker but he disappeared. Then we went in the shop to find you and the other two Weiß members unconscious from ningen sleeping gas. What happened to you?" 
>> 
>> "How about Omi-kun and Ken-kun?" 
>> 
>> "Still knocked out." 
>> 
>> "I think I'd better explain when 'niichan and the others are here." Kurama said sitting up shakily. 
>> 
>> "What's for breakfast?" 
>> 
>> "Kitsune udon." Ran said coming into the room with a tray scowling suspiciously at Hiei as he did so. The tray had three bowls on it. 
>> 
>> "Yum." Kurama said while Hiei made a face. The latter didn't like fried tofu and had often wondered what Kurama saw in it. Seeing his prospective mate making a face at one of his favorite foods made Kurama smile, he wondered what did Hiei like besides sweet snow and if the fire demon also disliked Inarizushi… 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "There was an explosion. Then the Foreseer and the Telepath came in with Sohliel. I had my plants attack them. They seem surprised and overwhelmed by the plants except for Sohliel at that point I noticed that both Omi-kun and Ken-kun were unconscious and I was groggy. I managed to get the mask on but it was too late. Then nothing." Kurama said to the entire Weiß team and Hiei. Yuusuke was talking to Botan and Kuwabara was at school and couldn't be reached at the moment so they had to make do. 
>> 
>> "We didn't even had that much warning." Omi said chagrined at how fast the gas had rendered him unconscious without a fight. 
>> 
>> "Ch, they used our wards against us. We couldn't sense what was real and what were shadows because of them." Hiei said in a disgruntled tone. 
>> 
>> "At least we know a little about Sohliel now than we did before…" Kurama said frowning a little at the way they had been fooled. _They should have known better._
>> 
>> "What?" Ran asked somewhat annoyed at all this chatter. They should be combing the city for signs of Schwartz and Aya-chan not babbling about last night. 
>> 
>> "He's an illusion master." Hiei and Kurama said simultaneously, the latter grinning a little at the way their thoughts had coincided. 
>> 
>> "Well and good but that doesn't get us Aya-chan…" 
>> 
>> "Don't worry we'll find and rescue her Ran-niichan. We will." Kurama gave Ran a big hug as he said these words not showing any bit of his doubt and frustration. _Kuso,_ _we have been blocked again…_
>> 
>> ~TBC~   

>> 
>> **Kurama on Inarizushi and Kitsune Udon**
>> 
>> Kurama: But foxes don't eat rice balls or toufu and noodles!
>> 
>> Silrayn *heaps a fair portion of both in Kurama's plate*: I know that Kurama-kun and so do most people but it does make a good story doesn't it?
>> 
>> Kurama *looks at the steak on Silrayn's plate*: It's not FAIR!
>> 
>> Silrayn: Now, now, Kurama-kun, be a good fox and eat your food...
>> 
>> *Kurama pops into kitsune form grabs the steak with his mouth and runs away with it.*
>> 
>> *Silrayn sits there with a sweatdrop for awhile.* ^__^()
>> 
>> Silrayn: Oh well, I guess he deserves it anyway for working so hard in this fic...^__~   
  
  



	10. aid unsought

X

> > **X. Aid Unsought**
>> 
>> Somewhere in between dimensions feral eyes met a yellow one. 
>> 
>> "Are you sure?" Said a whisper of a voice. 
>> 
>> "Yes…" 
>> 
>> "And so it ends…" It was a sighed and a promise. Both winked out into the maelstrom of the wilderness between the planes. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Ran moved quickly as the alarm klaxons rang from all quarters, cursing. He wondered who had made the mistake that triggered them. It better not be any of Sh—Kurama's friends or there will be hell to pay. He had been reluctant to have to do this mission with the Urameshi team underfoot in the first place_. This is what happens when you let non-professionals help in this sort of work…_
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "So that's how it's going to be?" 
>> 
>> "Hai, 'niichan." 
>> 
>> Ran didn't want to question the plan, it got his otouto under his care after all but it split the Weiß team into two and made them work with two others who they haven't even seen in action much less coordinate with. Besides, it was the best compromise they could come up with using both teams' methods. 
>> 
>> "Won't it be more effective if the teams were split up along the team lines?" 
>> 
>> "Ie, you won't have powers to deal with Sohliel and others of his kind that might be about." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "Please be rational, 'niichan." And that was that. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> The "plan", as insane as it was, had called for him and Siberian backed by Hiei and Kurama to take on the Estet elders while the others take on Schwartz. It also called for sneaking quietly into the base and assassinating the Estet and the Schwartz. Right now, it might well be scattered to the high winds. Someone had managed to trip the alarm before they got into position. Ran swore again. They had to fight men with guns something the Reikai Tantei had never done and that made Ran very nervous about bringing both Kurama and, surprisingly, Hiei into the fights. He constantly worried about them getting hit by bullets. 
>> 
>> "Hn. Dodge fireballs and such." Hiei said close to his ear. He had to remember that Hiei was a telepath as good as if not better than Schuldich. Not that little Jaganashi used his gift other than for communications most of the time and Ran's strong worry must be projecting pretty far. 
>> 
>> There were only two corridors they had to go through to their mission objective. He had drawn Hiei as his partner through the corridors. He comforted himself with the thought that they'll be seeing Kurama and Ken at the last juncture. Then realized what Hiei had said. 
>> 
>> "Hn." Ran said. _That doesn't help much…_
>> 
>> He had not much time for thought as the corridor in front of them exploded with Estet guards. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Yuusuke ran with Balinese. Of all the four Weiß, he was the unknown element; Hidaka and Tsukyono were at least acquainted with Kurama. Still he seemed a good man in a fight. They had taken down several of the guards with their weapons without getting hurt though with the alarms on. They had taken to speeding through the corridors, time becoming a premium rather than surprise since they have lost that option. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> The hall of sacrifice was large with a vaunted ceiling. The corridor where they emerge from was far from the altar all the passages were like that. The droning chant of the three went on and on as they climbed the stairs. Kurama felt uneasy. He remembered a part of a private argument before this mission. He knew his brother would have probably dismissed it by now as trivial but bothered Kurama a lot. Kurama knew that Ran didn't believe in the threat presented by youkai despite what the latter had seen and heard. It might be natural considering that he was a child of the modern world, which relied on science. He'd rather have Ran away from the coming battle but his 'niichan was adamant. Nothing was going to keep Ran away from this one short of death. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Ran-niichan, be reasonable, we're probably going against more youkai, demons that have been kept in reserve. You and Weiß have no experience fighting them, you should stay out of it." 
>> 
>> "Hn." A death glare accompanied the refusal. It was clear that his big brother wouldn't allow him to go into any danger on his own. 
>> 
>> "'Niichan." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> Kurama met Ran's eyes glare for glare, letting a bit of amber slip into his. 
>> 
>> "Humph, I guess there will be enough ningen with mundane weapons to give us some trouble." Kurama conceded finally, pouting adorably as he did so. 
>> 
>> _Ran-niichan could kill a basilisk at a glaring competition…_
>> 
>> "Hn." _Cute pouts won't make me repeal my verdict._
>> 
>> "Hai, I know that that wouldn't work when the matter was this serious but it was worth a try." Kurama grinned at Ran making the latter smile tentatively at him. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Kurama hid in the shadows waiting for the rest of their team to show up Ken-kun was beside him waiting for the signal as well. Hopefully no one got caught though with the alarm raised it would be harder for everyone concerned to take out his targets. Something moved in one of the adjacent corridors. It was one of the unaccounted for corridors in the complex probably leading to the Schwartz. He tightened his fingers around his whip. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Omi-kun, where to now?" Kuwabara said trying to be as quiet as he could. They had already made a mistake tripping the alarm by passing a laser beam that wasn't suppose to be there. They had taken care of the consequences of their actions and were now speeding to their rendezvous point with Yuusuke and Youji-san. 
>> 
>> "Right then left." Omi said consulting his map. They skidded to a halt and proceeded more cautiously into the corridor that would lead them into the Schwartz antechamber. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Omi-kun, Kuwabara-kun, how come you're here?" Kurama hissed in surprise as they huddled together in the corridor. 
>> 
>> "Omi…" Ken said in half-question. 
>> 
>> "We followed the map! We didn't get turned about. I'm positive." Omi said defensively. He was feeling a bit less confident after blundering into the alarm. 
>> 
>> "I'm sure you did." Kurama said soothingly. Whatever was going on couldn't be helped. 
>> 
>> "What now?" Hidaka-san asked. 
>> 
>> "We wait for the rest of the Estet team to show up? Ran-niichan would not be pleased if we had gone on without him." Kurama suggested. 
>> 
>> They started when another corridor showed activity but it was only Yuusuke and Youji-kun. 
>> 
>> _What happened to Ran-niichan that he…?_
>> 
>> The thought wasn't finished when Hiei flew in with his 'niichan. 
>> 
>> "What in hell!" Ran directed this uncharacteristic outburst to his teammates. 
>> 
>> "We don't know how we end up here." Protested Youji. 
>> 
>> "Let's figure it out later, the ceremony's been started. We'd better hurry." Yuusuke said. He no doubt was feeling the rise in ki energy enshrouding the summoning hall the way everyone from Urameshi Team. 
>> 
>> The joint team didn't need to use their "Chosen One" detectors to know that the bier on stage must be where Aya-chan was. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> The combined teams of Weiß and Schwartz hurried towards the stage. Ran felt a wave of weakness thrum through his veins as he ran but dismissed it. It must be the demon's blood in him reacting to the ceremony. Kurama looked at him in concern as he faltered but he only shook his head and there was no more time. The teams separated into small groups to deal with the telekinetic Elders of Estet and the guards in the main hall. 
>> 
>> Odd that there weren't any other youkai at all in the ranks of guards. He was in the process of slicing one of the guards when the weakness came upon him again and he felt as if his entire being was on fire. He distantly felt his knees buckle and lost his balance, far, far away someone was screaming… 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "'Niichan!" Kurama shouted as he dispatched the guard with his whip. 
>> 
>> Ran was kneeling an aura of intense blue limned his form and he was screaming. 
>> 
>> _There that was the last of them…_
>> 
>> "Everyone take care of the Elders. I'll take care of Ran-niichan." Kurama falling back to hold Ran in his arms. The blue glow traveled up Kurama's arms to enfold him too. Somehow it didn't harm him. Strange, it felt rather warm and welcoming. 
>> 
>> Yuusuke nodded, seeing that the blue glow had not harmed Kurama. Youji hesitated but then moved on grimly. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> One of the chanting Elders saw death approaching and broke off to hurl a wide spray of telekinetic force. Hiei and Siberian zeroed in on him and narrowly avoided being pushed by telekinetic force. Hiei's cat-quick reflexes had allowed him to bypass the wave and slash the man's throat. Yuusuke managed to shoot the woman before she could do anything. The last man was either more cowardly or more cool headed than the rest, he ran away fast as he could to a door where Schwartz must be, chanting all the while. He had only managed to survive a few more seconds as Youji managed to latch a stranglehold with his wire. 
>> 
>> All through out these events the glow surrounding Kurama and Ran didn't falter but intensified at each beat of a silent pulse. 
>> 
>> Hiei was finally free to use the detector to confirm his dawning suspicions. 
>> 
>> _Shit! Just as I thought…_
>> 
>> "This isn't Aya." Hiei said. 
>> 
>> "Sakura." Omi confirmed. 
>> 
>> They had been deceived. Hiei ripped the ward off of his Jagan to look at the impenetrable walls for a hidden door. With an illusion master, he didn't want to take the chance that the real door was cloaked, time was running out for Kurama and Ran. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Elsewhere, Schwartz was meticulously chanting their version of the rite under the supervision of Sohliel who nearly yawned. 
>> 
>> _So f'r so good, everythin's fallin' i' t' place…_
>> 
>> Sohliel looked at the bier that held Fujimiya Aya with a satisfied smirk on his alien face. It hadn't been all that hard to switch her with Tomoe Sakura. Those old fools didn't even know the first thing about this girl. They didn't even take the time to read her aura that would have saved them from being duped. But no, they were too assured of their destiny. It had been too easy. He sighed in contempt but tightened his grasp on the magical energies in the room. He had given Schwartz the rite to perform and so there they were now. His perception blurred for a moment and on a less aware level, he felt himself chanting with rest of Schwartz. 
>> 
>> After this night there would be no more problems about budgeting his resources, of splitting his consciousness. He would be free, free of the contract that bound his soul to servitude to the Cei Lady Bolshai, free to do as he pleased. It had been a hard thing to do to fight the geas that came with the contract but he had done it. He had gotten attached to the Ningenkai's status quo and wished no earthshaking changes even if it meant that he would have great power. 
>> 
>> _No let us not lie to ourselves --myself-- it's all for His sake… Heck, I'd have to stop her plan myself, Reikai were such ignorant fools they didn't even know that my liege was a she not a he. What a bunch of weenies… Things were so under control…_
>> 
>> It was how matters were when he felt the surge of power in the adjacent chamber. 
>> 
>> _Damned it! Somethin's gone som'ut wrong…_
>> 
>> Sohliel dropped the illusions he wove and gathered his powers to himself. He was even tempted to…_but no, not that, never that… If I did that I can never stay here in the Ningenkai any longer…_
>> 
>> "Crawford-san, something has gone wrong with the rite. Against all expectations there seems to be a building of power in the other room." Sohliel said in his accent-less voice to Crawford who was free at the moment, the chanting had needed to be alternated between three members or so the instructions said. 
>> 
>> "Should we…" 
>> 
>> "No, the rite shouldn't be interrupted. I'll go and see." Sohliel knew that without him the magical semblance in the room would vanish into thin air but didn't care. Schwartz would probably attribute it to what was happening in the hall. He flitted out into the hallway as Weiß team ran in to contain Schwartz. 
>> 
>> _Iffin' Fools…couldn't they figure it out for themselves, Schwartz wasn't behind what was happening now, I had them quietly occupied with the some harmless nonsense…but at least it give me free rein to do what must be done…_
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Sohliel found himself in the room with only the Urameshi team sans Hiei and the swordsman in it. The rest of the Weiß were all rushing Schwartz trying to disrupt the latter's concentration, thinking that would stop what was happening_. Tough luck, that wasn't going to stop this. _He'll have to do it himself. 
>> 
>> The kitsune and the Weiß swordsman were both glowing with a steady blue glow. 
>> 
>> _I've got to stop Her from coming through… What was that phrase again…_
>> 
>> "Avrec kiran…" 
>> 
>> Unfortunately the Urameshi team spotted him at that moment and decided to attack him as threat. The ningen swordsman started a slash at him as the other rushed at him. He narrowly dodged their attacks. 
>> 
>> Meanwhile, Schwartz was fighting Weiß and the ill-tempered fire demon. Sohliel knew that they were more than a match for the three but was glad that he had took the time to build several fighting reflexes as well as canny tactical mechanisms in his "second body". He still worried. The energies unleashed were disrupting reiki powers to a noticeable degree. But all the same could only spare a glance at his teammates before he blurred back into his fight with the Urameshi team. 
>> 
>> _A glance especially at him…What a thing to contemplate at a time like this…_
>> 
>> From the looks of things, the energies were also disrupting youki powers. The ki balls directed at him were none to steady nor did the flare of the swords. A fact that allowed him to survive while he concentrated counter-phrase. 
>> 
>> "Ouresis…" 
>> 
>> _Fools, there be no time left…got to…_
>> 
>> It really wasn't Sohliel's day for time just ran out. On a hidden signal both of the other occupants of the room glowed like miniature suns blinding him for an instant… 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> The pulse of the energies thrummed at the walls of the hall, threatening to bring them down. Then it stopped and in the midst of it all both Ran and Kurama started to levitate. 
>> 
>> "Yamero, I am only trying to help…" Sohliel said finally knowing that Bolshai wouldn't have taken kindly to what he had tried to do, once she figured it out. 
>> 
>> _An' she will figure it out, th' boss-lady's been always a sharp 'un. She is. An' I'm dead a'ways._
>> 
>> "Help? Help him more likely…" Urameshi said sarcastically flinging a fireball in disdain at him. 
>> 
>> "Think…Urameshi…isn't a bit odd that there is no power emanating from the antechamber of the Schwartz ceremony?" Sohliel said dodging the Reiki Sword of the other boy. 
>> 
>> "Huh?" 
>> 
>> "And this girl here isn't Fujimiya Aya isn't she so the ceremony here would have been useless…" Sohliel dodged another fireball. 
>> 
>> _What kind of fools were these folk?_
>> 
>> "So what do we do?" The boy said finally convinced, hauling the swordsman to a stop with him. 
>> 
>> A blast of ki energy suddenly barreled into them blowing them into the walls rendering the two Reikai Tantei unconscious. 
>> 
>> _So much for them…_
>> 
>> "isther min!" 
>> 
>> Ran floated across the room past Sohliel to the room where Schwartz still fought. 
>> 
>> _Shit! Her power's not waning…it might be a wee bit late…_
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> In the other room, the combatants froze as if sensing the impending storm. For a timeless moment everyone stood in poses worthy of Roman frieze work then the door blew in. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Aya-kun?" Tsukyono exclaimed uncertainly. 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "Aya!" Both his other teammates gave voice to their astonishment. 
>> 
>> All of them were having a hard time believing that this being of untold power and terrible majesty was their unassuming teammate. 
>> 
>> "Kurama!" Hiei shouted seeing that Kurama was also coming into the room with eyes glazed. 
>> 
>> "What's wrong with them?" Hiei said as he grabbed Sohliel who had followed the two glowing figures into the room. His katana was perilously close to severing the illusion-master's neck if the touchy fire demon didn't like his answer. 
>> 
>> "This again…" Sohliel sighed. 
>> 
>> "Hn." The expression on the grumpy little youkai's face darkened a bit further. 
>> 
>> "They got in the wrong end of the Elders' summoning ritual. Evidently there was a failsafe to my liege-lady's plan or a factor I failed to consider. I didn't intend for the plan to be fulfilled." 
>> 
>> "So how do we stop them?" 
>> 
>> "I don't know, I've just managed to seal the ritual on time so it's not full possession. But we'd better block the access to the girl, she is not sealed so." 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> Both of them, as well as the rest of Weiß, decided to block the way. 
>> 
>> "Sohliel, what in hell…?" Crawford asked. Like the rest of Schwartz, he was either on the floor or swaying drunkenly about. They had Gifts and didn't have any training dealing with demon ki that was flooding the entire room. Which was better actually, Sohliel had enough troubles keeping Weiß and Schwartz apart if they were fully functional. Explanations would take too much time. 
>> 
>> "You don't really want to know." Sohliel said keeping his eye on the advancing pair. 
>> 
>> "I tire of all of your interference. Especially of you, traitor. Little One…" A voice said from Fujimiya's lips. Though it was the deep baritone of the man it somehow conveyed an undertone of hissing alto that was Bolshai trademark. 
>> 
>> At that, Kurama threw a fireball that had everyone ducking out of the way. 
>> 
>> "Kurama! Wake up, kitsune no baka." Hiei said again daring the fiery missiles to charge in and hug the kitsune by the waist. A note of desperation entered his voice. He wasn't going to lose Kurama to this no matter what it took. Kurama, his best friend and somewhat more… 
>> 
>> _I want you to be more… I want us to have time to be more to be with each other… To be happy together, I want to learn how to laugh with you, to share, to bask in your affection and not the friendly kind either… Kurama, please wake up!_
>> 
>> "You don't want to do this… Remember, that we're your friends!" Omi said as he closed in while dodging. 
>> 
>> "They are nothing, Little One, destroy them all." Ran said again. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Kurama felt warm and safe like being in his mother's womb or in her arms. Shiori's love and support thrumming a contented burr in his mind cleansing the pain of the centuries of life. 
>> 
>> _Yes, you don't have to be lonely anymore, Little One… You have a clan now, you need not fear of ever being lonely ever again._
>> 
>> Contentment sang through his veins. 
>> 
>> _A family, a clan, I belong…_
>> 
>> Far, far away was a shout, a loud babble of voices. One voice echoed through out the rest… 
>> 
>> "…kitsune no baka." 
>> 
>> _Hiei!_
>> 
>> With this Kurama fought free of the lassitude that had held his mind in its warm grip and came to with Hiei's tight embrace. 
>> 
>> "You can let go of me now Hi-chan." Kurama said affectionately but grimly. 
>> 
>> "Hn." Soul-deep relief and something more colored Hiei's tone. Kurama knew that they both needed sometime to assimilate what had just occurred. Time to reassure each other especially Hiei but not now. There was simply no time left. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Noooooo!" Bolshai said in denial, sending wave after wave of telepathic fury at everyone within range. 
>> 
>> Sohliel was concerned. At this rate, Schwartz could not last any longer under the buffeting force. 
>> 
>> "Aniki!" Kurama yelled, running into the force storm using Hiei as anchor to keep from being swept up by the madness of that rage. The glow was now ebbing, pulsing as if it was losing power… 
>> 
>> _Yes, I sealed her jus' in a nick of time…. But it's na quite enough. Somethin' must distract t' lady… Ran is th' primary focus, tho' I doubt if the lady would wish t' be stuck in a male body…I've nothin' to lose but this shell anyhow…_
>> 
>> With this thought, Sohliel attacked Abyssinian with all his might. He felt the tissues of the body fracture and severed under the cold onslaught of flying icicles and snapped back into his second body with a gratifying snap. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Hiei's eyes widened, as he understood the significance of what his Jagan had seen. Sohliel's awareness had shifted to one of the Schwartz' bodies. It was food for thought for later when they survived this. 
>> 
>> In the chaos, Hiei and Kurama managed to hold onto Ran and force him away from Aya's body, as Bolshai was about to make a sprint for it. 
>> 
>> _Then was all over._
>> 
>> Hiei looked with narrow eyes at the Schwartz member. 
>> 
>> _Very interesting, it is not possession and the body has the same signature as Sohliel's… Why have we not noticed this before? Clever, there were always rumors of illusion masters that could create the reality of flesh. So it is not rumor after all…_
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> _: Should I start or should you? : _Kurama projected hard to Hiei. They needed to know the motivations of this particular youkai even if his actions seemed to indicate that he was no longer a threat. 
>> 
>> _: Hn.:_
>> 
>> "So what did you do that for Farfarello? Or should I say 'Sohliel'?" Kurama asked for both of them. The psycho ignored them, fascinated by the blue blood spilled on the marble tiles. His teammates were too busy in other parts of the complex salvaging what they could of the situation. For anyone with some ki sense it was obvious the "body" was an elaborate half-illusion meant to fool the senses of both youkai and ningen alike. 
>> 
>> Kurama and Hiei managed to slip away from the joint team in pretense of going to their respective sleeping places without Ran raising hell. The latter was too preoccupied with Aya-neechan and too happy to see that she had regained consciousness to try managing his little brother. They would have a harder time of getting time alone otherwise. His aniki was such a prude. 
>> 
>> "Do what?" The platinum blonde said, his one yellow feral eye finally looking up from the corpse illusion. 
>> 
>> "Help us against Bolshai?" 
>> 
>> "Let's just say I have gotten used to this world." Farfarello said in the same languid almost purring tone that he had used as Sohliel. 
>> 
>> "Hn, he's gotten attached to a ningen he means." Hiei snorted before Kurama could find something to retort. 
>> 
>> Kurama was amused to see Farfarello sputter at this. For once, the suave demon couldn't seem to frame a reply. 
>> 
>> "You don't deny it?" Kurama said cruelly, playing villain to the hilt. Sohliel did deserve _some_ anxiety for all the trouble he had caused them. 
>> 
>> Looking back at everything that happened, Kurama and Hiei had concluded from their observations that the youkai wasn't as serious in his duty to their enemy as he should have been. He could have done serious damage to both teams if he had tried. The confusion he had caused showed a fine cunning strategist that could have pulled this off. Nearly pulled it off with half-hearted effort, this made him truly dangerous. It was imperative that they verify that he would not pose a threat. So they decided to prod him into revealing his intentions for the future. 
>> 
>> More sputtering, the youkai was definitely flustered now. 
>> 
>> "A weakling human, hmmm… I wonder who it is?" Kurama added. Hiei had already told Kurama of the glance he saw Farfarello had tossed to Schuldich in the fighting but decided use the taunt to push the youkai a bit more. 
>> 
>> "Is it Crawford-san…" 
>> 
>> "…" 
>> 
>> "Or Nagi-kun…" 
>> 
>> "…" 
>> 
>> "Or could it possibly be…Schuldich-san?" 
>> 
>> "I'll cut your heart out and make a coat out of your fur." Farfarello lunged for Kurama but he was too late the youko had dodged him easily. 
>> 
>> "What do you want from me?" It was several futile blows later, Farfarello settled down to an aggressive pose somewhat winded. 
>> 
>> "An assurance that you won't pose a threat to the Ningenkai ever…" 
>> 
>> "For as long as Schuldich lives, I can assure you…" That was a truthful enough answer. No demon could really say forever. For the future was long for them, and such guaranties rarely hold. 
>> 
>> "…And you will give us all the locations of the copies of Bolshai's summoning rite. All the copies." 
>> 
>> "They've all been destroyed as far as I know." 
>> 
>> "Truth?" The question was directed to Hiei who had been using his Jagan all throughout the confrontation. 
>> 
>> "Hn." 
>> 
>> "Our thanks then." 
>> 
>> "So can I count on your silence." It was directed to both of them. 
>> 
>> "Your survival will be mentioned in our private report to Koenma. But no one, not even our teammates will know about your true identity." 
>> 
>> "That's fair enough." Farfarello said after a long moment of thoughtful silence. His stance relaxed to his usual languid pose. 
>> 
>> With this both weary youkai had left the "madman" to his game. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Kurama-chan, where have you been?" Ran said. Aya-neechan was already asleep in her bed and couldn't be bothered. 
>> 
>> "Out talking with Hiei." Kurama said brightly. He was going to sleep in apartment above the flower shop since he had told their mother that he was to stay overnight with a friend. He got the blanket and a pillow on the couch since Ran insisted on sleeping on the floor. 
>> 
>> "Talking?" 
>> 
>> "Hai, talking." 
>> 
>> "You know my rules…" 
>> 
>> "Aniki!" Kurama said giving Ran an innocent foxy look. 
>> 
>> "Hn, talking…just go to sleep…" 
>> 
>> "Hai, aniki." Kurama said grateful that they were both too exhausted to make an issue of it.
>> 
>> _I must really break 'niichan out of the habit..._
>> 
>> **~zzzzzzz~******
>> 
>> If anyone wants more of the Assassin and the Fox Universe here's some more fics:   
[Cold Water Mischief][1]   
[Chocolates for Ran-niichan][2]   
[Schuldich in Demonland][3]   


   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=298468
   [2]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=222747
   [3]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=336860



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